The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-07-19
STOMACH AND HEART.

anclSu6 LlnS--Culeuy OScduS0 LnSY arr
ancient-and. no one takes the trouble tc
inquire into them closely to ascertain
their eoundness. Such is the case with
the generally acknowledged and accepted
doctrine, that the heart is the organ and
seat of the affections.
We confidently affirm that We have
made a grand discovery on this import
aRt questions, this supposed pbysiolo9i-
cal TACT. though We bavevDo pretense to
be professed aEatomisls,. Hor can We. say
thai We have gained our. knowledge ex-
acIly in dissecting room.
Il has been assumed that the brain is
the organ of the mind-that il is the seat
of the intellecE--sud that. if it be diseas
ed or destroyed, the mind suffers with il.
To that doctrine We offer no objection.
Il has also been assumed, and has long
been the prevailing opinion that the heart
is the seat of the affections; and We might
q"ote, Rot only from poets and nOvelists,
but from much graver and more sober
literature. to prove easily that such Is
The general belief. All the virtues and
soft emotions, and also their oppOsites,
are said TO proceed from the heart: vary
iOg IN degree end character according to
the goodness or badness of that belied
organ.
Now to this doctrine we object; aud
not only do We consider the theory mis-
take, and that it cannot stand the test OF
examination, but We meet tne theory by
the proposition that another organ is
really the seat of the affections, aad thai
the heart is not at all concerned in the
matter. The organ We contend for is the
stomach. 81
Il is very true, aud we at once ac-
knowledge that We can bring no anatom-
zeal proof of our doctrine from the struc
ture of the stomach, nor can those who
might argue on the other side show any
such proof from the anatomy of the heart.
1t is only by watching the actions of each
that light can be thrown on the subject.
True. when powerful emotions of love
or bate have been excited, the hearts
action is suddenly AID often viole0tly in
creased, the pulses beat fast and furious.
there is flushing of the face and a blush.
But this is only because the emotion dis
turbs tile heart, as it does the respiration.
and the same effect is produced from other
than moral causes; as by running, jump
Ing. or any violent and rapid bodily *
eIcise: also. by very hot room, or. a
glass Of brandy. We might as we'll as
serL that the lungs we're the seat Of the
affections; for they are disturbed by the
same causes.
II the heart, as an organ, we're the seat
of the affecIiods, aud of all the tender
feelings or their opposites, these feelings
would alter and become morbid, if the
heart were diseased; as we find the mind
becomes disOrdered when the brain is
wrong. Il is we'll known that this Is not
the case.
There is a disease where the heart be
comes enormously enlarged, but it is not
found that the moral large heart, as it IS
called, is the consequence. A man is
said to have large heart when he shows
noble beuevoleDce and q wide philan
thropy; but his real heart, the organ
! itself, remains of it's natural size, while
possibly a miser who boards up every
| penny. and never did an act of charity in
his life. dies of an enlarged heart. The
heart is sometimes found converted into
| bOny, half stony structure, causing
much suffering during life; but the at
! fiicted owner OF this hard heart is often
the kiudest, the most tender, the most
amiable of human beings. 1t has been
said OF very loving woman that she was
all heart; whereas, in reality, her heart
remains unchanged in size or in structure.
and she retains the usual complement of
legs and arms. and so forth. Many peo-
pie have diseased hearts; these cases are
easily recognized by doctors. BY the help
OF that wonderful Searcher Of hearts. the
kaleidoscope; but though they have the
malady for years, getting gradually worse
and worse, and though the progress be-
comes more and more distinctly MAJ ked,
until they die of it, and post mortem
examination Verifies the opinion given Of
the case, yet the affection have never
been found TO have been impaired; the
patient remains as good, as gentle, as Low
ing, and as benevolent as before the
change began.
Il remains to prove that the real organ
of these emotions is the stomach.
Here we can confidently appeal to facts
daily seen and Acknowledged. We can
also easily show that in very old times
this truth was well known aud accepted,
so that We are not bToao hing an entirely
new doctrine, but one frequently set forth
in the oldeet literature. The Old Tesla
ment abOunds in proofs that the digestive
OF CANS, Of which the stomach is the most
important, were recognized as those which
influence the affections, and not the heart
Witness such expressions as ''bowels OF
mercy" ''bOWsls of compassion" go
seph's bowels yearning toward his broth
er Beujamin.'' Many more might be
quoted, as such phrases frequently occur.
showing the truth was we'll recognized IN
the days of the patrarchs. We do not
pretend 10 be able to prove when the
change of doctrine took place. or how It
was that the heart came TO supersede the
original organ. sts al
When We see lovely aud bsWitching
woman, is 1t not common TO say that We
Md eat her up? One love-s.rieke en-
Was known TO have said this of his Intend
ed bride, bat some months after his mar
riags on being reminded of it, he rather
regretted be had not done i. Do not moth
ers often cay, in fl Of ecstaLic fondness,
that they could eat lovely cherub of .
child? Benevolent feelings tozards all
mankind are nOtoriouslY promoted by q
good dinner Numbers OF our charitable.
institutions depend on this recognized
fact and the a1hsarSDt;o, ~. = -