New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-27
STONiCHLES.S NAN.

Man may perhaps not do without dining. but
apparently he can If need be get on without
stomach The remarkable operation per-
formed by DR. Carl Schlatter at Zurich, Swizer-
land in the successful removal Of the entire
stomach from mdde-aged woman, suggests
the possibility Of the reversal In some cases OF
the tendency to specialization in the evolution
of the higher animals.
1t is well understood that functions are little
specialized in simpler forms Of life. All OF
the faculties that some Of them have can be
performed indifrerenty by one or another part
Of the organism. Some creatures undoubtedly
see hear and feel to Il certain extent all over
their bodies. and IL cut in two Will see, hear
and feel equally well. The protozoon that sim
ply sinks It's food into the material OF It's own
body needs stomach. 1t can turn its ex-
ceedingly adaptable flesh into any organ or
which II stands In need. Tho lobster cannot
turn himself inside out and use his skin for
stomach at pleasure. but he Will grow new
claw when he needs one. Man has settled
down into a stereotyped notion Of his organs,
rrd taken 1t for granted that with the peculiar
perfection OF some Of them went necessary
inability of any others TO do Their work. When
deprived of organs that are not essential to
life he gets on without having their work
done When deprived Of an organ which or
dinarily performs functions essential to life
he dies That Is what the Swiss woman might
have been expected 10 do But instead OF max
ing IA god Of her stomach. SO 10 speak, She Is
showing that she Is more than stomach by
turning other parts of her body 10 do the
necessary work that the stomach was expected
TO do
Dr. Schlatter's achievement IS wonderful ms
n surgical triumph. but II Is more wonderful
in that IL extends n trlfle the domination OF
man over his own body. Blind men have com
pensatcd themselves for loss OF sight by spc
cally acute hearing. Some invallds deprived
Of almost all bodily senses have developed ielc-
pathlc susccptiblllies. The work OF one kidney
or one lung has been thrown upon the remain
ing organ and the skin. But never before was
there reason to believe that an essential vital
function could proceed absolutely independent
OF the organ calculated 10 perform H. The In
testlnes In this case have assumed the whole
burden Of digestion. The result OF n previous
case which did not involve the removal OF
the entire stomach suggests the possibility Of
future enlargement Of the digestive tract TO
form food pouch. and replace In some degree
ct least the missing organ Such an incident
tcmpts 81 speculation the possibility OF
adaptation 10 I'll the want Of other vital or
CANS. or course. there must be limit some
where but medicine and surgery are constant
" pushing II further back. How much further
II may be pushed nobody can say, and proba-
bly, the great surgeons would be the first TO
doubt there being any great possibility In this
direction and would devote most OF their ener
giles TO the prevention and cure Of the diseases
which ruin the organs rather than to the dis
covery Of ways TO get on without them. But
the proof TINT sometimes we can get on with
out them gives new force and meaning 10 the
idea that man Is more than his body. and that
he may rule il instead OF having At rule him.