The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-08-16


What cure you had in storel'
YOU'D have suffered all the more:
Men are foolish things" raid she.
The Much-Abused Stomach.
Where 1t is Located aud What II
Best Thrives on.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The best way for the average reader
to get an idea of the human body is to
think of it as complex machine, whose
l'armoniousi working depends upon the
integrity of many subordinate and con-
tanned parts. OF these subordinate
parts Of the body none excel and few, if
any, equal in importance the stomach.
Now, if the reader can imagine pear.
shaped white rubber bag, about twelve
inches in length, varying in width from
four inches at the widest to one and a
half inches at the narrowest part, curved
upon itself, suspended crosswise in the
body, on a line of about the Sc venth
rib, convexity downward, with large
rounded extremity to the left side, we
vii! have pretty fair idea of what
0AO WucE0 tUc SCOu6CQ lS.
AZ has just been intimsted
the stomach is elastic: this fact, which
has doubtless many a time suggested it.
self to mothers of families Of growing
boys, il due to the presence of muscular
tissue in the coats of the stomach, dis
posed in varying directions. Just here
It may be we'll to point ont that the space
occupied by the stomach, and its tempo
rary shape as we'll, depends much upon
sts contents. This circumstance can be
we'll illustrated by SO common thing as
q coin purse, an object whose corpul-
ence depends much upon it's contents.
Every time we breathe the stomach ia
moved up and down. When FOOD Is IL
troduced into the stomach a series OF
movements are begun by the muscular
tissues before referred to, which produce
churning movement we'll calculated to
accomplish that for which tits intended,
viz: thorough mixing of the food matters
and digestive fluids. Into the upper
parts Of the stomach to the left empties
At the right extremity of the stomach
continuous with it's the beginning
of the bowel. The outer surface
of the stomach, in common with all the
abdominal contents, is covered by re.
duplication of the membrane-periton
eum-lininR that space. The inner sur
sace OF the stomach Is Il membrane,
somewhat like that lining the month and
throat; it is q network Of small blood
vessels, in the interspaces between
which are placed the glands, which elab-
crate the digestive fluids The lining
membrane Of the stomach has in It
many folds and doublings to give in
creased surface with the minimum in
crease OF bulk. In persons who are not
very fat the interior of the stomach 10
probably not over half inch from the
skin: Occasionally the abdominal walls
are by accident or otherwise shot away,
leaving the stomach exposed, and per-
The Canadian, St. Martin, who may be
remembered by some of the older read.
ers of the Times, was an illustration OF
this accident. In this individual the
process of digestion could be watched
through the opening in the stomach,
and was an object Of much interest to
the physicians. A little above the stom-
ach, separated from it by muscular
partition only, is the heart. The near
ness OF these organs frequently occasion
them to be confounded by the laity, es-
pecially by pain in that region. Jgno-
rant and careless professional people
are easily misled by the same circum-
stance.
Allusion has already been made to GER
tain glands situated in the Innings of the
stomach and their duty, and to certain
events which occur upon the introduce
ton of food, and this is the whole duty
OF the stomach. Indeed. it is no more
nor less than a vessel in which the food is
dissolved, and filter where ce, tain SUBJ
stances, now prepared for use, are silted
OF into tho blood vessels already men,
toned. From the. blood of the vessels
lining the stomach, pespin and free
acid are elaborated by the gastric glands
by the churning movements following
the introduction of food, the contents
of the stomach, viz, food. pespin, free
acid and saliva, all thoroughly mixed,
and really chemical process takes
place, the outcome Of which is that the
food matters are either wholly or partly
prepared for their entrance into the
blood. The working time of the stom.
ach is calculated to be twelve hours per
day, reckoning four hours for each meal.
It il believed that sleep arrests the pro-
food requiring much digestion just pre-
suits produced by the free use of mince
pie In tho evening illustrates this matter
veil.
All observant persons must have
noticed how quickly the appetite is TAX
on away by unpleasant sights or sounds.
This 10 produced evidently by the effect
Of the sights or sounds upon the heart
and the resultant changes of the circula-
ton Of the stomach. On the other hand
- merry heart is a continual FEAST" A
tired person can not digest food. for
which reason the correct saying, ''Too
tired to eat"
An overworked stomach, just like
any other machine, will soon begin to
complain, and if the overwork is con-
tinued the stomach becomes common
Hrumbler. II. however. the overwork
10 only temporary, the stomach will Of
and throwing off the offending matter.
The stomach is one of the doctors best
friends. Just impose upon your stomach
sufficiently and you will find it out to
your sorrow. 1t is also very good scape-
goat for the doctors. The
scientific terms for the complainings
of the stomach are many, VIZ, in
digestion, apepsia, dyspepsia and what
not. The effects of these mal-conditions
upon . persons morale are we'll nigh in
describable, q masters pen alone can do
itjustice. One frst-class case of dyspep.
sia 10 generally enough for most we'll
regulated houses. Affections of the
stomach, accompanied by change OF
structure in it's walls, are we'll nigh in
curable. The doctors may patch up, but
TO Insert new material is beyond their
skill: Concerning the stomach, this
much is ~ true as it is of any other or
gan, viz: that overwork is the best cure
by rest. -
Concerning food this must be kent in
mind: that the quantity and DUALITY Of
food person requires vary much. Ills
10 owing to age, habjts-whether active
or otherwise the temperature of
the weather. The young and aged need
easily-digested foods.
A high temperature forbids the use of
much # food. especially animal fats.