Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-22

leave your impress upon the WOrld Us tne son
of the richest banker on earth. You need not
throw yourself away because you were born
poor.
THE STOMACH.
The stomach is "a musculo. membranous
reservoir" This is the definition which is
given by Webster, and we have no doubt it is
in the main as correct as any that could be
given. In shape, the stomach resembles a
horn, very thick but very short 1t is. COM
posed Of three coats The outside one is
called the serous coat, and is tough and strong
the middle coat is denominated the muscular
coat, and is composed of two sets of muscles,
the one set arranged lengthwise and the other
in a circle. The inside coat is called the
mucus coat, and is arranged in folds so as to
present wrinkled appearance.
The stomach is called reservoir, because
it is designed to receive all the food that is
taken into the mouth ; it is also, with proprie-
ty, called reservoir, because from it every
other part of the body receives supplies to
keep the animal organism in existence.
In an old fable there is related conversa-
tion which purports to have taken place be-
tween the other members of the body and the
stomach. The hands and feet determined
that since they had all the work to do, and
the stomach did nothing, that they would
withhold from the stomach the fruits of their
toll. The result was very different from
what the other members of the body expect
ed The limbs became weak, the body ema-
cated, and it was evident that death would
soon ensue unless they gave the idle stomach,
as they had called it, a supply of food.
Generally speaking, the stomach gets but
little credit for what it does. 1t is often
abused for being an idle consumer; but when
the truth is known, it does more work than
any other member of the animal. The food
which supports every part of the body, is
taken into the mouth, chewed and then passes
down a membranous tube which pierces the
diaphragm. By this tube the food is emptled
into the stomach, and then it undergoes most
wonderful changes. When the food reaches
the stomach, it goes to work to dissolve all
the solids and reduce them to fluid state.
All that will make flesh and bone is separa-
ted, and that which will subserve no purpose,
is cast off as waste material. The solids are
converted into fluid state by powerful
solvent, called gastric Juice. The muscular
coat of the stomach contracts and changes
the position of all solids within it, so as to
bring them in direct contact with this juice.
When anything that is poisonous enters the
stomach an effort is made to throw it otf-to
vomit, and there is valve connected with
the stomach that will not let any solid pass
through until it is dissolved, or imbeded in
something else that has been dissolved.
All this may seem curious, and it is so;
but the most wonderful thing is the chemical
powers of the stomach. The stomach of every
living animal is great laboratory, in which
wonderful chemical combinations and forma-
tions are daily and hourly going on.
We turn a calf and pig into grass-lot
and both grow fat. Both eat the same food,
and drink out of the same spring. In the
green grass we can detect nofatty matter, no
flesh, no bones; yet the stomachs Of the calf
and pig convert part of this green grass into
fat, part into flesh and a part into bones
We do not say that all this is done by the
stomach alone. 1t has assistants; but the
main part of the work depends upon the d.
rect agency of the stomach. That must be
wonderful piece of mechanism that can take
a sprig of crab-grass or bunch of red clover
and convert it into blood and bones Not
only is the stomach powerful worker, but it
is also delicate worker. We give child
piece of bread. 1t eats it. Nothing more is
thought of it. The stomach goes to work,
and out of that piece of bread it continues the
work of repairing and building up body
that is beautiful in form and graceful in move
mcnt. The rose that blooms upon the cheek
of "a blushing maid, may for aught we know,
have been made out of Irish potatoes and
buttermilk. The same material may have
been all that was given the stomach to make
the muscles of the giant. The stomach of an
ostrich will grind up an old shoe sole. Yet
out of this ugly material it will make, or help
to make, those beautiful feathers which deck
the heads of princes. Ithas great power, but
exquisite delcacy. If the question be asked,
where does the stomach get those delicate
colors which often decorate and beautlty
the plumage of birds? We can only say no
one certainly knows. No one knows where
the rose bush gets the delicate tints that beau
tify the bloom. One of the wonders of ma.
turc is how the stomachs Of different animals
make different things out of the same mate
rial. By the stomach. of both the COW and
hog, grass is made into fat. BY the stomach
of the COW it is made into tallow, and by the
stomach of the hog it is made into lard.
Tallow and lard are both grease; but they
arc SO different that any child can tell the
one from the other. They look different,
taste different, smell different and feel differ
ent. The stomach is b master builder
ny The benefactor always retains some at
fection for the person whom be has benefited.
No extent of ingratitude succeeds IN utterly
cffacing this kindly feeling on the part OF the
benefactOr.