Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-06-08
A DOGS DIGESTION.
AS Noted by a Louisville vivisection
ist


list.
A reporter Of the Louisville Courier
Journal had conversation the other
day with DIR. M. F. Coomes of that
city. who has made some experiments
in vivisection.
Have you any objections to stating
the nature Of some of the experiments
performed upon dogs and pigeons p
asked the reporter.
"None whatever" replied the doctor.
81 have dog here upon which per-
formed the operation of 'gastrotOmy'
some six weeks ago, and he is now as
well and apparently as happy as any
dog in town."
The doctor here led the way to a
shed III the rear of the house where a
ine-looking setter dog was tied. Moth
ing extraordinary could be noticed in
the dog. until the doctor raised him
up on his hind feet, and large plate
could be seen over his stomach. There
was tube in the center of this plate,
which was corked up tightly. The
dog seemed perfectly willing to be ex-
amined, and showed no evidence of
pain. This being the only case ever
successfully performed in this city,
and the only dog now living in the
same condition, makes him very valu,
able.
IL chloroformed the dog" said the
doctor. "and laid open the tissues down
to the stomach, which / opened and
inserted this silver tube, which can be
seen projecting here. 1t communicates
with the cavity of the stomach, and
when I wish to obtain pure gastric
juice or watch the process of the di-
gestion of any given food, all that
have to do is to remove the cork, and
the whole process can be seen. You
can pass this PROBE" suiting the action
to his words, "up in the tube, and il
gives the animal no pain. By means
of this opening into the dogs stomach
the fluid can be obtained at various
stages of digestion, and I can demon
strate that the statements in the text
book are not theoretical expressions
but absolute facts"
"Have any similar observations beer
made upon human subjects?" question
ed the reporter.
. Yes, DR.. Beaumont, an American
was the first to observe the process O
, digestion in the human subject. Hi
| observations were made in the sprin,
and summer Of 1905, upsn the persol
: of Alexis st. Martin, who had beel
accidently wounded by the prematur
discharge of his gun, which left
/ valvular opening in his stomach. Thi
same person, after an interval O
? twenty-fOur years, came under the oil
r servation of Prof. Smith, of the Uni
[ versity of Pennsylvania, who agail
: made series of experiments confirm
{ ing those of DR.. Beaumont. d.
/ Schmidt, of Germany, made simila
1 observations upon a woman in 1856
: The opening into the stomach in thi
= instance resulted from an abscess. /
/ 1876 DR.. Verneuil, of France, made a
!. artificial opening into the stomach of
e man who had an impossible strictur
l of the gullet. The patient recovere
with a permanent gastric fistul;
through which nourishment was sue
cessfully administered. ALI of tn
!. knowledge of digestion is the fruit @
e experimental work: hence the necessit
). for practical demonstrations in thi
? line. L expect to be able to preser
: this dog to class in 1888, and fo
several years to come. The circul;
> ton of the blood is demonstrated i
!; living animals. The web of a frog
J, foot or the tail of minnow al
generally used for demonstrating tn
. circulation of the blood in the sma
!. vessels, while the action of the heal
: and the Large vessels in its immediat
: vicinity are demonstrated by openin
!. the chest of dog or large fro!
q when the movements of these organ
!, can be observed. Numerous exper
: ments are performed upon the lowe
4 animals TO demonstrate the function
o of the nervous system. The study @
physiology upon the living animals is
very interesting, and, 1 may say, Ease
mating one. OF course, we use ever
/. means available to prevent torturin
o the animals any more than is absolut.
r ly necessary. If the experiment is G
, such nature as to render life "a burde
, to the animals, we kill them in til
, most humane manner, generally b
chlorofOrm.
"This dog" remarked the doctor, i
' conclusion, as he "corked' up tn
opening in the animals stomach, j
, the only one upon which the operatio
was successfully performed, althoug
, several have tried it."
Oomestication of Wild Ducks.
In a paper ssOn the Demonstration n