Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1863-12-01
THE EVENING NEWS.
On the Reason why the Stomach IL
not Digested by its own Secretion
During Life.

An essay on the above subject was read by
DR.. Pavy at the recent meeting OF the Brit
ish Association at Newcastle, which is thus
reported by the Atheaeumi
How is it, DR.. Pavy observed, that the
stomach, composed as it is of digestible ma
terials, escapes being digested itself, whilst
digestion is being carried on in its interior
The question here raised must be admitted
to be one of the utmost interest and import
ance to us ALL because it touches upon the
means by which we escape after every meal
we consume from the occurrence Of an event
which would inevitably prove fatal to life.
Hunter noticed that the stomach was suscep-
tible of being attacked by the digestive liquid
after death, and accounted for its power of
resisting destruction during life by reference
to the ''living principle" The stomach, he
says, which at one instant-that is, while
possessed of the living principle-was capa-
BILE of resisting the digestive powers which 1t
contained, the next moment-namely, when
deprived of the living principle-is itself ca
pable of being digested. In illustration, he
further says, "If it were possible for mans
hand to be introduced into the stomach Of
living animal, and kept there for some con.
siderable time, it would be found that the
no effect upon it !; but if the same hand were
separated from the body and introduced into
the same stomach we should then find that
the stomach would Immediately act upon it,
This statement, however, fails to stand the
test of actual experiment. Bernard of Paris
ingeniously contrivcd to introduce the hind
legs of living frog through tistulous OPEN
ing into the interior Of digesting stomach,
and found that they underwent digestion.
notwithstanding that the life of the animal
was maintained. My yown experience enables
me to testify to the accuracy of this result;
and further, have found that the tip of
liking rabit's car has similarly yielded to the
influence of the digestive menstruum. The
'rliring principle" must therefore be discarded
as insufficient to account for the state Of se'
curity under which the living stomach exists.
To replace the refuted influence of the
" living principle" it has been suggested
that it is the epithclial lining which gives to
the stomach the immunity from destruction
it enjoys during life. The stomach, it has
been said, is lined with in epithelial layer,
and this, with the mucus secreted. acts as
kind of varnish in protecting the deeper parts.
Whilst digestion is proceeding,'the epithe-
lium and mucus are constantly being dis
solved, like the food contained in the sto-
mach; but fresh supply being as constantly
produced, the organ is thereby maintained in
tact. Death taking place, and the ,epithelial
layer being no longer produced, the gastric
juice, after acting upon and dissolring 1t,
reaches the deeper coats, and then, contlnu-
ing to exert its influence, may ultimately,
the temperature being maintained, sufficient
ly favorable for the purpose, occasion per-
foration of the organ. This view, however,
like Hunters "liying principle" fails to
stand when submitted to the test Of expert.
ment; for have found that a considerable
sized patch of mucus membrane may be re-
moved, and food will afterwards be digcsted
without the slightest sign of attack being
made upon the deeper coats of the organ.-
Indeed, it might almost be, assumed, upon re-
fcction, that something more constant--thst
some condition presenting less exposure to
the chance of being influenced by external
circumstances than that supplied by the eXis-
tence of an epithelial layer, would be rcquir-
cd to account for that unfailing security from
ante nlO,tem solution, which the stomach
appears to enjoy. From the articles swal-
lowed, abrasion of the mucous membrane
may be presumed to have been not unfre-
Guently produced, and liberation is not Of SO
uncommon an occurrence; yet perfcraticn
has not been observed as the necessary re-
suit.
The problem, therefore, as to why the stom-
ach is not susceptible of attack during life as
it is after death, still remains open for solu-
tion andIthe view that have o.offer refers
to the immunity observed to the circulation
within the walls of an alkaline current of
blood. 1t will not be disputed that the pres
ence of acidity is one Of the necessary cir
cumstances for the accomplishment Of gas
ii, l,,,.t, -.
character of the blood, and, as during life
the walls of the stomach are everywhere per-
meated by current of this alkaline blood,
we have here an opposing influence, the effect
of which would be TO destroy, by neutralizing
its ascidity, the solvent properties of the di-
gestive fluid tending to penetrate and act up
on the texture Of the organ. The blood be-
ing stagnant after death, the opposing in
huence is lost that is offered by the circulat-
ing current. Should life happen to be cut
short at period of digestion, there is only
the neutralizing power Of the blood actually
contained in the vessels of the stomach, to
impede the progress of attack upon the or
gan ITSELF and the consequence is, that di-
gestion of its particles proceeds, as long as the
Temperature remains favorable for the process
and the solvent power Of the digestive fluid
is inexhausted. There is, therefore, no want
of harmony between the effect that occurs af-
ter death and the explanation that refers the
protection afforded during life to the neutral
zing influence of the circulation.
In support of this view have found, eX-
perimentally, that by arresting the flow Of
blood through the stomach during life, the
organ is placed in the same condition as it is
after death; having lost its protecting in.
huence, digestion of its texture now pro-
ceeds. 1t will be naturally required Of me to
reconcile the view advanced with the effect
that is noticed when the living frogs legs and
rabbits ears were introduced through tistu-
lous opening into the digesting stomach. If
the circulation, through its nuetralizing pow
er, protect the stomach, why should it not
have afforded equal protection to the tissues
of the living animals introduced through
fstulous openinginto the organ According
to the proposition offered, the result is in
vOlyed in question of degree of power be-
tween two opposing Influences. And be-
cause through degree of vascularity the neu-
tralizing power Of the circulation is sufficient
to hold In check the solvent action of the gas
tric Juice in the case of the walls of the stom-
ach, it does not follow that it should similarly
be sufficient to do SO in the case of the frogs
legs aud rabbits ears. With the frog it may
be fairly taken that the amount Of blood pos.
sessed by the animal would be totally made
quate TO furnish the required means Of resist
ance to the influence of the aeidity of dogs
gastric juice. With the rabbits ears the vas
cularity is so much less than that Of the walls
of the stomach, that there is nothing incom-
prehensible in the fact of the one yielding to,
and the other, resisting the attack In sup
port of the position that has been taken, il
can be shown by experiment that even with
the stomach itself, BIZ increasing the aciditY