The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1857-12-26
4 Peep into a Living Mans stomach.

The ease Of Alexis st. Martin is one
with which the public, aud especially
those who have given particular atten.
tion to the subject OF physiology in cou-
nectIon with medical science. are already
familiar. 1t is indeed most eytraerdi-
nary one--perhsps We might say, the
most extraordinary one known in the au-
nals OF surgery. st. Martin is a Canadi-
an Of French descent. La the year 1925,
when nc Va. eighteen years Old, and was
employed In the service of the American
Fur Co., in Canada, he vas accidentally
wounded by the discharge Of musket
loaded With duck shot, Us he calls il. but
which 4aa.t, We lnfsg, have been about
the slGe o. bac& SA2t. H. informed us
that he did no: know oE fee! that he had
be.n hit, but n3 neat afterwards IA, felt
cold edlii, as /. pa.t Of cold water had
by.t iasand orlr iin Tha charg. ca.
tereg lattarly from behind, passed Z lit.
through ais body, tearing of the mus, les,
carrying away aalf of the sixth rib, Il ,or-
ating the left lobe OF the lungs as well as
the Diaphragm, perforatiag the stoIr ach
ana exposing the perieardium, or cover
ing Of the heart A portion of the lung
as large as turkeys e9s, laccritei aud
burnt, and just below this A portion Of the
sto mach, protrudcd from the wound, The
food al the Same time passing froln The
Oriice thus made 10 the stomach. This
oritiee has never healed, and through It
the process of digestion eai be- plainly
seen in the stomach. DIR. Beaumont, the
surgeon VINO attended him, published
some years ago, voluae made up from
facts collected from this case, and enti-
tied DIR Bcaumonts Physiology and Ex-
periments. This work embraced the
observations and experiments on st. Mar
tin, aud may be said to be the foundation
Of nearly all the positive knowledge now
possessed on the subject of digestion. In
this book DR.. b. gives the particulars Of
the treatment of the case, and the siaga-
lar recover Of the patient. Curious'y
and happily enough, by the adhesioa .:
the sides Of III, protruded portions Of the
stomach 70 the plepra eo.'c:::s and the
edge of the external wound, q free exit
was afforded to the contents of that or
gan and affusion into the abdominal cav
lty was thus prevented and the man lie
saved. 81. r.
wounded IN similar manner, wo"id re-
cover Mt all, while the chances against Just
s,.h a,rec,ion and result Of another
occidental or even an intentional shot,
would besr.uOrmous as to defy compu
,,t;an and sImo ost to surpass belief. The
ease Of st Martin is probably the hr-.t :,
last onlv one Of the kind the world will
ever see; aud the opportunities which it
affords fer the acquisition Of positive
knowle.se concerning the human stomach
md digestive functions, are OF correspoh'
din, interest and value. Think oil the
,loa of actually witnessing the process
~ DIGESTION. aud the assimilation OF ya
r;ons foods in the interior OF the stomach
This interesting subject for study wa
rceently in Hartford, and we haa the
o,nortnuity of seeing him. lie was un
drerrtbe AR care OF John q. Bunting, former
l. SURGEON in the British army " hh'
bere St Martin and the doctor were tn
nests Of Col. Colt, at whose Invitation
:hay were induced to stop, while on thei
w.y - Boston, for the purpose OF aiio"
;aa the Hartford Medical Society an op
nn1tupity of noting the process ana G. c.
tec,s Of digestion, the absorption o' III
fereu, kinds Of food, &c.
Some Of the facts thus obtained ar
: no,. and interesting, others seem TO cou
en- ,revious theories Of the physieiaiis
r IT, =, vas found that brandy taken into U
empty stomach (half an hour %. pe'oss ,as.Irz ",
nerg has the effect to temporal ily para,!a
,he process Of digestion tor pef'ou
saa saar honrs Moreover, its influence VI
~ l the stomach, under these clrcmms.a, sta,
90. j. such as to prevent that organ lfo' :;
e recoyering its natural tone LOT u. .nns
!. tes - ,ftsr the brandy Is swallowed
4 ,hs exp,rstiop 81 that tiae, ''s ftss,, To- :,
z ~, % healthy tone i inalsa'ea :. = =
! arnearauce ii red pateaes On sn' .h;, .
~ m .oats Of the stomach, iro'h VIZ,
/. ainu,e drops Of blood are seen 70 eAua .,'
3 This ia the result otter 'epau'"
q c,r;ou.ly enough. d lr'ag this ,0'e,s' ~
Z ...t;,e !. not the least imPsreo' .'''
!. -. ~ n,nc,ions Of digestion are grea''s :