Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-01-21
WHOLE NO 1913
whom we can repose such perfect confidence
as our mother. How holy is mothers love!
a Peep into a Living Man S
Stomach.

| Inc case oil Alexis st. Martin IS pTooa
bly, the most extraordinary one known {;
! the annals Of Surgery. ST. Martin is Ca
madam, of French descent. In the yea
1925, when he was eighteen years old, an
while employed in the service of the Ameri
can Fur Company, in Canada, he was &C
c;dentally wounded by the discharge of I
musket. the charge entering latterally froI
/ behind, passed quite through his body, tear
ing of the muscles. carrying away half tht
sixth rib, .lacsrating THE left lo5e of the
lungs as we'll &s the aieqbssgIn, perlorating
the stomach and exposing to view tie per,
/ icardium, or covering OF the heart! A por.
! ton OF the lungs as large as turkeys egg
/ iaeeruted AMI burnt, and just below this
portion OF the stomach. prJtruded from the
wound, the food at the sane time passing
from the ogifee thus made in the stomach.
! This orifce has never healed, and through
i. the process Iof digestion can plaisly be
seen in the stomach. The case of St.
Martin is probably the firs;, the last, and
the ONLY one of the kind the world will ever
see; and the opportunities which it affords
for the acquisition of positive knowledge
concering lhe human stomach and digestive
functions are Of corresponding interest and
value.
THIS interesting subject for study was in
Hartford on Saturday and Sunday last, and
we had the opportunity OF seeing him
While here ST. Martin and the Doctor were
the guests of Colonel Colt, at whose inyi
tion they were induced 10 stop, while on
their way to Boston, for the purpose o! al
lowing to the Hartford Medical Society an
opportunity of noting tie processes and the
effects of digestion, the absorption of diff
ferent kinds of food. etc. In looking into
the aperture left by the shot from the gun,
he secret of the gastric juice has been dis
tinctiy seen. The theory OF the existe, ce
of this curious digestive agent had long been
/ held by the faculty, and was indeed so Strong
ly sustained BY reason and by circumstan-
tial evidence, that it was regarded less 4
theory than as an asce-Iained fact. 1t was
not, however, till this case of St. Martins
occurred, that the doctors were enabled to
know, f:om the positive evidence of their
lsenses. that the sO.cailed gastric juice was
precisely what it had been supposed to be.
In post-mOrten examinations, this singular
agent is never found; and it was, as We are
informed, never seeu before this hole in the
living mans stomach exposed it to the
curioas eye of the investigator.
The interior OF the stomach, contrary to
the impression of many persons, is cleanly
and not uninviting in its appearance. Its
delicate pink codtng5 are as clean and per
ieci as all :he rest Of NaISe's handigOrk;
and it is not till the pampar ami unnatur-
u! appetite of individuals has, by overload
in!; it. aad by eating and drinking improper
things, rendered il weak and Incapable OF
performing all the work thrust upon ii, that
the stomach, or,r ther, its Contents, become
"foul." Covked-meled or drawn-butter,
and the lard used in shortening" piecrust,
is not digested at all. 1t is s"eu swimming
upon the surface OF the stomach in the form
OF yellow of light-oolored grease, and it
finally passes of undIgesied. The skin of
all fruits never digestr, neither do the stonei
or pits" of pIums, cherries, etc.
Hot bread never digests at all; after a.
long season Of tum6!ing and working about
the stomach, it viii begin to lermeni, ard
it will eventually be passed out of the
stomach as an unwelcome tenant of that
pelicate organ, but Lever Gigcsts--nsyer be-
comes assim lated to or absorbed by the Or
gans that apPropriate nutrition to the body
1t is, however, frst-raie DYSPEPSIA prodncer
Chopped meat, moistened, Introduced
through this bul!et-hOle into Jhe mans
stomach, is found to nour>h him just as it
would If taken at the mouth! All that the
patient requires, ii: that csse. is 20 be a.
lowed to chew piece OF gum-merely toI
satisfy the habit OF chewing, We suppo-e-l
and lie gets along rs il he had eaten his
dinner; it is undoubtedly better, hos ever,
tha; the food should frs, be masticaled, and
this can only be done through the proper
agency appointed tor that purpose by ma
tuFe.
Mirthlulnes,, at and after 4 meal, 'acili-
tates digestion wonderfully. Take ST.
Martin to Il theater, ter instance, after L
hearty evening meal, and let him enjoy a
good comccy-the result is astonishing; di-
gesIion is prumoted 10 surpr ising degree.
Laugh and grow fat is an adage now seen
10 be founded upon physiological truth.
But make this man suddenly angry, under
the above circumstances. and prestoI what u
change! The whole process Of digestion is
at once urrcsied-broaght To a sudden stop,
as ii by the STROKE OF an electric shock!
and it does not again 60 on as wei! as be-
fore, till considerable time a3:er the CHG
ton which caused the interruption has died
away.
A piece Of meat tied to 4 string hrs been
introduced into the stomach through this
oriice, and after lapse oil 4 certain time it
has been pulled cut again, and the progress
of the digestive organ accurately noted
In this way coincd-oeef, for instance. hes
been reduced 10 a mass OF fine, delicate. and
even threads. after having beer for some
time sub jecied to the action of gastric juice.
Another queer disclosure rs the actlyn oI
the stomach, in case OF hunger, when the
whole sack or bag known as tine stomach is
seen to roll and work about. Ii lie pit to
long in this empty and restless coailiUn,
the action Of the organ is weakeneG-the
stomach loses portion of its vital energy,
and The digestion OF food taken at tha. time
is performed more slowly in consequence -.
Anger has the effect 10 cause the bile to
rush into the stomach in stream This
has been observed with certainty in the case
of St. Martin. When he has been sudden
ly crrogcG, while lying on Il table, the bile
has beca seen 10 rush into the stomach.
which was perfectly clear ct il ;he instani
before, and such quan'ity as to admit otI
lis being cmPiicd out ;.eciy into cup!'
simply by turning hin over.
ST Mar in, since a. was wounded, has
married. anS become the !a;her Of seven
children, five of whom, with his u. lie, are
BON living. At trs, the ou.y Way b, which
h.s food alter entering the csopAagus, cculJ
be presonicd from passing out through the
.r.,rt ,y1s Ia llS, CpmDrrSSpS nnu e. iups. 4. a,