The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-01-06

! of Drs Shredder and GruDewadt some four
and.twenty years ago, and vivisectors know
! how BlUndlOt and others artiiicially produced
the same condition IN dogs, and thereby gam
ed "A certain insight into the behavior OF food
/ IN the ventral alembic of the tissues. 1t was
found, for example, that in tne fasting state
the walls of the stomach appeared pale and
habby, ana lay close together, whereupOn
some people enormously conceded that the
sensation of hunger was due to the rubbing
of the coats of the stomach on each other. 1t
was noted that whenever food was introduced
the sides Of the cavity reddencd with the
stimulated circulation, and its muscular ac-
uvity was aroused As Dr. Beaumont SAID,
from observations made on Alexis 81. Martin,
the chewed food was Cnurncd in the stomach,
and carried round and round the course OF its
curvatures In this way 1t was triturated and
exposed to the solvent action Of the gastric
Juice which acted on the albuminous and gc
atinous substances swallowed, until gradual
ly milky fluid known as chyme was elaD
Grated. Thus was it found out that we take
usually about four hours 10 digest dinner
and II was also discovered that d tferent kinds
of food vary much IN their gestibllty-no
table, for example, that fats and oil take long
time to digest when introduced into the stom
ach alone but are much more speedily got rid
of by that organ if eaten with salad or yege
table matters.
OF all the curious facts observed by stu
dents of the phenomena OF digestion, how
lever none was stranger than the extent to
which emotions were seen TO Affect the oper
atoms of the stomach. Mental eXertlons pure
and simple drd not seem to retard digestion
so much as had been Onjcctured. Yet when
associated with deep emotions, or with that
iretfulness of mind we call worry" it APP
peared to have a baneful influence. As for
The tiercer passions, an outbreak or them
would sometimes suffice to prevent the stom
ach even when most vigorous from discharg
ing its functions Another mysterious phe
nUmenOn noticed IN connection with diges-
ton was the sympathetic influence exercised
by the stomach oyer the secretion of the
mouth. This secretion, as is well known, has
an important chemical action on certain
constituents of food, changing by sort of
fyrmentng process sarchy matters, for In
stance, into sugar. In DR.. Nernueil's case,
wherever food was injected into the stomach
OF his patient, II flow OF saliva in the mouth
is produced, in the election OF which mo-
ton culiously resembling chewing is re-
marked" In short, the different parts of the
digestive apparatus are so linked together by
nervous connections that they sympathize"
with each other, and if one be stimulated the
rest are also excited. But, as might be eX.
pected, there is no connection apparent be-
tween the nervous system Of the stomach and
the nerves of taste; for 1t is related of DR..
Vcrneuil's patient that when food Is put into
his stomach, although his mouth fills with
saliva he feels no sense of flavor in the sub
stance with which he is fed. He is only
aware if they be hot or cold, and, indeed, no
anchorlte could be IN a State of more philos-
ophic indifference to the choicest pleasures
of the table. The question forces itself on US,
will il be beneficial thing to rescue him
from this condition? These be hard times,
and savory food Is getting dearer and dearer
every day. Would not a man who was thus
physically insensible to gastronomic luxur-
les, who cared not jot as to what he ate or
drank, have an advantage in the battle for
life which ought not to be lightly estimated
So long as good digestion waited on appetite,
he would be free from the Carking care that
darkens the soul OF the sybarite as he pom
ders in his mind the most momentous of all
questions: ~ hat shall | have for dinner
today" or sits down to his banquet in fear
and trembling lest the cooks kitchen science
may for once have failed him in its prepare.
tion-London Telegraph.