Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-23
The Stomach.

This important organ is a muscular
sack formed by dilation Of the alimen-
tary canal In shape it somewhat re-
sembles "A curved section of cone; in
size it varies from eight to twelve inches
in width, and from three TO four in its
greatest diameter. 1t is usually estI-
mated to contain about one quart when
in perfectly normal condition; but so
universally are excuses committed IN
eating and drinking that in scores OF
observations we do not remember to
have seen a single one that had not been
dilated beyond this capacity. It's stu
alton varies considerably, according as
it is distended with food or otherwise {;
its proper position is inst below the
liver 1t is of purely carnivoroust type;
being intended only for the dissolving or
chymifaction of the food which has been
finely triturated by the teeth. 1t fur
nishes by far the most important of the
five solvents concerned in digcstion-the
gastric Juice. 1t actually digests, or
reduces to chyme, all the elements of the
food except the nom heterogeneous and
hydro carbons, or sugar, starch and oil.
Of these, sugar and starch are digested
by the duodenal juices; oils by the pan
creatic fluid
OF its physiological functions we know
much; the celebrated Martin case, where
in a permanent fstula or opening fol-
lowed terrible gun-shot wound, having
afforded wonderful facilities for study
ing its functions and given great I'M
petus to the investigation of all the de
tails of alimentation. Many important
facts have been thus obtained; some
psychologists even go so far as TO lay
down laws for the exact time IN which
any given article of food would be di-
gested, and, consequently, classifying all
such as wholesome or unwholesome ac-
cording as they seemed to resist the ac-
ton of the digestive powers OF the stom.
ach, or otherwise. BY such rules pigs
feet and tripe were laid down as being
digested in an hour; trout, in one and
half hours; milk, in two hours; roast
beef, in three; and so on, until the climax
was reached with roast pork and bolled
cabbage, which, they said, required five
and one half hours for their proper d.
gestion. But, from close observation, II
is our belief that stomachs have as many
whims ana idiosyncrasies as have their
masters, and that which is easily dlgested
by one is "poison" to another. Hence,
the folly of any set of rules which pre-
scribe Just what all persons shall eat
Each person should know enough OF his
own temperament and physiological or
ganization to be able to select those arti-
Giles of food which are best adapted to
his own Individual wants.
Treated from this common-sense stand
point, MANY of the fcarfully numerous
diseases of the digestive organs would
cease to exist. But we go on, defying or
ignoring Natures laws; eating, In hall
the time required for perfect mastication,
double the amount necessary for our sus.
tenance; jumping up and going at hard
brain work Immediately after each meal
when we ought to take complete mental
relaxation for some time in order that our
nerve forces may be properly concen-
trated upon the digestion OF our food /;
drugging ourselves with stimulants when
we see our digestive powers are begin
ming to fail until the inevitable result fol-
lows and we become confirmed dyspep-
tics. We then pounce upon the stomach
as the unlucky source of all our evils,
forgetting that large percentage Of our
food was never intended to be digested
by it; forgetting that Nature has given
us organs of lOcomotion, demanding that
they be exercised; free, pure air, requir-
ing it to be breathed; proper hours for
repose, and insisting on their being SO oc-
cupied.