The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-01-31
Recent Facts About Gastric juice.

DIR. Charles Richet not very long ago
read paper be ore the French academy
of sciences, in which he treated Of the
acidity of the gastric juice in man. It
seems new case has arisen, which affords
a chance for ocular observations of the
work that goes on inside the stomach,
very much like the case of St. Martin,
who nearly thirty years ago was shown
here in Hartford. DR.. Richet says that
for some time Professor Verneui1 had a
patient under his care, who labored under
the strange affection of having his
oe 3ophagus, or upper extremity of the
alimentary canal, 50 contracted as to
render the passage not only of food or
drink, but even of an instrument, quite
impossible. The professor had recourse
to gastronomy, an operation until then
considered mortal, but which in this case
succeeded perfectly. An incision made
in the stomach, and kept open artificially,
has been transformed into a regular
fistuia, through which food and drink are.
administered and in this state the young
man not only lives, but is a useful serv-
ant of the hospital. Mr. Richet, having
devoted particular attention to this SUBJ
iect, and examined the working of the
stomach day by day, through the fstula
| in question, communicated the results
obtained to the academy. They are as
follows:
l. The average acidity of gastric juice,
whether pure or mixed with food, Is
equal to II grammes of hydro celoric
acid per 1000 of liquid. It has never
| been observed to be lower than 05 or
higher than 8 2.
2. The quantity of liquid contained in
the stomach exercises no influence on its
acidity, which remains nearly invariable,
whether the stomach is empty or filed
with aliment.
g. Wine and alcohol increase the acid
| ity of the stomach; cane sugar dimin-
ishes it.
4. If acid or alkaline liquids be in
! jected, the gastric ones tend rapidly to
resume their normal acidity, so that,
| about an hour after the injection, the
! stomach has regained the average acidity.
l. 5. The gastric juice is more acid dur
ing digestion than before or after.
o. There is slight increase of acidity
towards the end of digestion.
Z. The sensation OF hunger and thirst
do not depend either upon the state OF
acidity or on that vaeuity of the stomach
Such are the results SIS to acidity, but
there are few others OF some interest.
Thus fecula-- at and meat--stay in the
stomach for three or four hours, milk is
digested in the course OF an hour aud a
half, water and alcohol are absorbed
much faster, in the course of from thirty
FIVE or furty-6ve minutes. Food is moi
transmitted TO the pylorus SUCCESSFULLY
but all in block.
This last curious observation we dc
not remember as having been made in
the case of st. Martin, and 1t may pos
sibly refer to q personal popularity o
Prof. VernuiIs subject; the othel
points. referring to the time required t
digest fat, meat, milk, etc, substantially
5, confirm the observations msde in ST
Martins case, and embodied with other
made an Interesting table presented a
that time by this paper. In regard Il
I alcohol, which in the Frenchman'
patient IS absorbed 70 rapidly int,
the circulation, it was found in st. Mar
tins case that taken directly after mea
: it suddenly arrested digestion. It scenes
2 to act as a hindrance, not q help. /
4 may be different with different indivi6
q uals but IN no case Is alcohol digestec
It's taken into the circulation essential
b unchanged; that is, so much OF i as tn
a excretory glands and vessels are unabl
t to dispose of. A drop OF clear alcoh'
n has been found, on dissecti0ns, ia an il
q temperate mans brain. ~ Hartford Tine