Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-09-14
A Look Into a Living Stomach

A Look Into u Living Stomach.
An "iuside view" of living human
stomach is a rare privilege for the physi-
ologst. Artificial openings into the stom-
achs of the lower animals, especially the
dog, have often been made for the purpose
of watching the digestive process, but in
the case of man II has been only some pc
culiar wound or accident that has afforded
such an opportunity of seeing the gastric
machinery at work. A curious case of tho
kind, probably familiar TO many of our
readers, was that of Alexis st. Martin,
young Canadian hunter, who in 1922 was
wounded in the left side by the accidental
discharge of gun. The stomach was per-
forated by the shot, and though 81. Martin
eventually recovered his health, this open
ing was never closed except by kind of
valve or mucous membrane, which could
be readily pushed back by The finger so as
to expose the interior of the organ to view.
The case was for long time under the in
vestigation of DR.. Beaumont, whose obser-
vations upon it are recorded in every treat
Use on human physiology; indeed, they
may be said 10 form the basis of all mod
ern knowledge on the subject. The prog
ress of physiological chemistry has shown
that he made some mistakes, but the more
important results ofhis Investigations have
been fully verified, and have been of ines
Unable value in hygienic no less than in
a scientific point of view.
Another case of the same sort, that OF an
Esthonian woman, was studied by Drs.
Shrooder and Grunewald about twenty
five years ago; and third, which has sug-
gested this familiar article on the subject,
has been attracting much attention among
medical men in Paris. This past summer a
boy was brought to one of the hospitals OF
that city, who had swallowed by accident
a dose Of caustic potash. The terrible es-
charotic produced SO tight construction in
the outlet that no food could pass down in
to the stomach. Death from inanition must
have been the result had not DR.. Verneuil
resolved to perform the operation known
as astronomy. On the 26th of July, ac-
cordingly he made cut into the lads stom-
ach and inserted into it an elastic tube,
through which food could be injected. In
this way soup, fine-chopped meat, mashed
vegetables and drink were administered.
By the 10th of September the young man
recovered his health and spirits. He was
able to go about and help the servants in
the hospital, and seemed to have as much
life and energy as before the accident. Be-
tween the 18th of August and the 18th OF
September he gained ten pounds in weight,
while being fed through the hole in the
stomach.
We do not purpose at this time 10 give
even an outline of the facts concerning the
digestive process carried on in the stomach,
which have been discovered by the study
of these cases, but limit ourselves to one
or two points that seem of special interest.
The first is of practical character. Oh
the phenomena of digestion observed none
was more curious than the extent TO which
the emotions affected il. Mere mental ex-
ertion did not seem 10 retard digestion so
much as is generally supposed. The stu
dent or literary man may safely return to
his work Immediately AFTER hearty meal,
provided there is nothing in that work ia
excite or trouble hun. But intense emo
ton, or anything that tends to IVORY" the
mind, has most injurious effect upon The
operations of the stomach. The hurried
lunch or dinner which The man of business
crowds into the midst of cares and ankle
ties that fret and vex him is worse than no
meal at all. 1t throws upon paralyzed
stomach burden which it is in no condition
able to bear, and If the abuse is continued
from day 10 day and month 10 month, the
inevitable result is dyspepsia with its train
of attendant ills.
Another Interesting fact Is the sympa-
thetic influence of the stomach upon the
aclion of the sslivary glands, whose secre-
ton, as is well known, has an important
chemical action on certain constituents OF
food, changing starchy matters, for instance
into sugar. In DR.. Verneuil's case, when
ever food was injected into the stomach OIL
his patient, "a flow of saliva in the mouth
was produced, in the injection of which a
motion curiously resembling chewing was
remarked" In short, the different paris oil
the digestive apparatus are so linked to.
gelher by nervous connections that they
"sympathize" with each other, and if one
w tuo IGSt are nut
as might he expected, there is no connec-
ton apparently between the nervous sys-
| lem of the stomach and the nerves of taste
for il is related of DIR. Verneuil's patient
that when the food is put into his stomach
although his mouth fills with saliva, be
perceives no flavor in The substance with
which he is fed. He Is aware whether II Is
hot or cold, but cannot guess how it would
taste If eaten in the ordinary way. This
would be a serious loss to gourmand, but
we can imagine circumstances under which
II would have its compensalions. A hun
| cry traveller sometimes has 10 eat things
that he would be glad TO put into his stom.
ach without having them pass the ordeal o.
the palate; and if nauseous medicines
could be taken in that way it would save u'
many qualm. On the whole, however, the
pleasures due TO the sense OF taste overbal'
ance the discomforts 1t may cause, anC
most men would rather have. food travel L
the stomach by the usual route than by
such "short cut" as had to be established
in the case of DR.. VerneuiPs patient. Bos
ton Journal Of Chemistry.
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THE DEATH OF BRIGHAM YOUNG wal