The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-10-26
A PEEP IN A MANS STOMACH.

PEEP IN a MAN SIOmACd.
The following extraordinary statement we have
from the Hartford Conn Press. How it was pos
sible for human being to survive wound so de-
structive of his internal machinery is almost as
great wonder as the phenomena laid open there
BY to the inspection of the curious. But this is
not the only, and probably hot the most extraord-
mar case of the kind on record We recOllect
reading many years ago similar account OF an
American soldier who received wound during
the war of 1872, attended with nearly the same
results
The case of Alexis st. Martin is probably the
most extraordinary one known in the annals of
surgery. St. Martin is Canadian, of French de-
scent In the year 1925 when he eighteen
years old, and while employed in the service of the
American Fur Company, in Canada, he was acct
dentally wounded by the discharge of muskct, the
charge entering literally from behind, passing quite
through his body, tearing off the muscles, carry
ing away half of the sixth rib decorating the left
lobe of the lungs, well as the diaphragm, per-
fcrating the stomach, and exposing to view the
pericardium, covering Of the heart. A portion
of the lungs as large turkeys egg, was lacera-
ted and burnt, and Just below this portion of the
stomach protruded from the wound, the food at
the same time passing from the orifce thus made
in the stomach. This Orffce has never healed, and
through it the process Of digestion plainly be
seen in the stomach. This interesting subject for
study was in Hartford Saturday and Sunday
last, and we had the opportunity of seeing him.
While here, st. Martin and the doctor were the
guest of Colonel Colt, at whose invitation they
were induced to stop, while their way to Bos-
ton, for the purpose of allowing the Hartford
Medical Society opportunity of noting the pro-
cesses and the effects of digestion, the absorption
of different kinds of food, &c. In looking into the
aperture left by the shot from the gun, the secret
of the gastric juice has been distinctly seen.
The interior of the stomach, contrary to the
impression of many persons Is cleanly and not I'M
inviting in its appearance Its delicate pink coat
ngs are as clean and perfect as all the rest of
lures handwork, and it is not until the rampered
and unnatural appetite of all individuals has, 10y
overlooking it, and by eating and drinking i'm
proper things, rendering it weak and incapable of
performing all the work thrust upon it, that the
stomach or rather, its contents, become "foul. -
Cooked (melted or drawn butter or the lard used
III shortening" pic crust is not digested at all.
1t is seen swimming upon the surface of the
stomach in the form of yellow lght-colored
grecse, and it finally passes off undgested. Chop
ped meat, moistened, introduced through this bull
let hole in the mans stomach, is found to
ish him Just as it would if taken at the mouth!
All the patient requires in that is to be al
lowed to chew piece of gum, (merely to satisfy
the habit of chewing, suppose,) and he gets
along if he had eaten his dinner; it is undoubt-
edly better, however that the food should first be
masticatcd, and this only can be done through the
proper agency appointed for that purpose by ma
ture. Mirthfuness at and after a meal facilitates
digestion wonderfully.
Take St. Martin to Il theatre for instance after
hearty evening meal, and let him enjoy good
comcdy-the result is astonishing, digestion is
promoted to surprising degree. Laugh and
grow fat is an adage now seen to be founded
upon physiological truth Anger has the effect of
causing the bile to rush into the stomach in a
stream. This has been observed with certainty in
the case of st. Martin. When he has been sudden
ly enraged, while lying upon table the bile has
been suddenly to rush into the stomach
which perfectly clear of it the instant before
and sueha quantity as to admit of its being emp
tied out freely into a cup, simply by turning him
over. y piece Of meat tied to a string has been
introduced into the stomach through this orifce
and after lapse of certain time it has been pulled
out again and the progress of the digestive organs
accurately noted.
In this way eorned beef, for instance, has been
reduced to a of fne delicate and even threads
after having been for some time subjected to the
action of the gastric juice. St. Martin, since he
was wounded, has married, and become the father
of II children, five of whom with his wife are
now living. At first the only way by which his
food, after entering the esophagus, could be pre-
vented from passing out through the wound was
TO congresses and adhesive straps That
necessity has since been overcome by the growth
of small fold of the coats of the stomach which
now extends almost over the oriice but can be
readily depressed with the finger, so as to allow
an examination of the interior of the stomach
(when it is empty to the depth of FIVE or six
inches.