The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1876-07-06
Diseases Of the Stomach, or Dysp psia
what is it!
BY v. CLARENCE PRICE, NJ. D.

thN ODAA fshfho s'fn >
this name, have no other opinion OF
1t than that it is disease of the
stomach. They have been SO in
fcrmed and because they have been
SO distressed with fatulence, acidity,
sinking faintness, and sensation at
the pit of the stomach, which they
cannot fully describe, they think it
certainly disease of the stomach,
and more especially if it be attended
with nausea or vomiting. Is it really
the stomach which has become dis
eased, or does it ariae from some 9th.
er source ? Where is the stomach
situated It's form somewhat re-
sembles an alembic or retort, the
largest part being on the LETT side,
between the left lobe of the liver and
and side, then passing under the liver
terminates in the small intestlnes
near the center of the body. The To-
cation of the stomach, therefore, pre-
cludes the possibility of unpleas-
ant sensation, as faintness, flatnlence,
acidity, &c, being disease of the
stomach, as some suppose. The
parts where these sensations are ex-
perieuced is the location of the small
intestines, and why such affections
should be felt in the small intestines
we shall undertake to explain.
Soa7aess or Aciduy- The princi-
pal constituents of the gastric juice
is muriatic acid !; this muriatic acid
dissolves into small particles the food
taken into the stomach, after which
the food passes from the stomach
through the pylorus into the small
intestines, where it meets with the
bile, formed from the liver. When
the bile is of a healthy character, il
contains large qnanty of alkaline
compounds. This alkali unites with
the muriatic acid of the gastric Juice
and neutralizes it, forming with ii
salts of mura,e of soda, ammonia
and potass, which are somewhat pur-
gative. When the liver becomes
diseased. it cannot produce healthy
bile. The bile may be thick or Wis
cid, producing costiveness, gall stones
&c. AT other times it is thin and OF
an acrid character. The acrid char
acter of the bile accounts for the
faintness aud sinking feelings, exper
fenced just below the pit of the
stomach. The acidity is occasioned
by the bile having lost its alkaline
properties, by which the acidity of
the gastric juice cannot become neu-
,ralized. Sometimes this thin acrid
bile exists in such quantities as to
regurgitate from the small intcstines
into the stomach, and vomiting fol.
lows; and if at the ,ame time the
bile being sufficiently irritable to ex.
cite inflammation, the patient will
have frequent attacks of violent pains
sense of twisting or gripping, or cho.
lera morbus. Flatulence is occasion.
ed by the decomposition of the bile
by which carbonic acid gas is Olsen
gaged-Dyspepsia, so called, is there
fore exclusively disease of the liver
and although relief may in some in
stances be afforded to the distress
which many experience, by the usual
practice, yet no permanent benefit
can take place until the liver is re
stored to healthy action.
The number of persons laborine
under a disease of the Liver are very
great there are but few who arr
free from it, and yet many little sus
pect that disease of that organ il
the true character of their indisposi
ton.
Salloaoness Of the Skin is in conse
quence of the bile having become de-
composed and rendered thin, by
which it becomes capable of being
absorbed into the blood, giving it {
yellow tinge and evinces its presence
sometimes by dark yellowish spots
upon the face and neck When alb
bile is thin and acrid, and the bloot
loaded with it, such irritation ant
inflammation often arises, as to pro
duce canker, erysipelas, bumors, aut
not unfrequently ievers, as bilious fe
yer, ague and fever, &c; the patien
feels weak and debilitated. This in
flammation often progresses lif neg
lec,ed) until the spleen becomes al
fected and pain is felt in the side
The heart becomes weak, and pail
and palpitations are often felt in tha
region. The Liver itself, often be
comes so weak. that by the least ex
8 ertion, as going up stairs, or rising
hill, the blood is thrown into the live
with such force as TO cause it to en-
large, and the patient experiences dill
ficulty in breathing until the. bloo'
l,,-nv