The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-16
OFFICE 0F TIE STOMACH
EMINENT PHYSICIANS WHO SAY 1T
Is NOT INDISPENS-
ABLE
DR.. Ellie METCHINKoFFs VIEW
Partisan Has Been M1srepresented,
Says DR.. Kelly, of St. Paul, Who
Studied With Noted French
Scientist

One of the great and interesting prob
lens that is exciting medical science
both in this country and the effete mon
arches of Europe is the question as to
whether or not poor, suffering humanity
can exist without what has been cor
sidere6 as that indispensable adjunct Of
| the body known as the stomach.
AT the first blush, the very IDEA of
man or woman going about the usual
rounds OF business or pleasure without
even an empty stomach, seems too ridicu-
lous and absurd for belief, especially to
the layman, who is not supposed to be
versed in the esoteric secrets of the med
cal profession
To the average layman the question
would naturally arise, if we have no
stomach what will become of the food
which from time immemorial, has been
taken for the sole purpose of n0urishine
the BODY, and from this the query would
naturally arise, why, in the absen-.e of a
stomach, should we partake of any food
at all?
All of the above is based on T. recent
experiments of such high medical author
tiles as DR.. Ellie Metchinkoff, of Paris.
and Other eminent surgeons who assert
that the stomach is not necessary TO
human existence, and that it may be
| eliminated without discomfort, and with
absolute benefit to the patient
A few years ago this would have been
looked upon as not only barbarous but
as little else than murder, despite which
the removal of the stomach is also ad-
vocated by DR.. Carl Schlatter. OF Zurich.
Switzerland, who removed dhe stomach
of woman suffering from cancer, and
by DR.. c. B. Brigham, CT San Francisco,
VINO exploited his theory in tue Medical
and Surgical Journal of Boston Ia st year
Dr. John Bruce HarTie, another eminent
physician, in a recent article also advo-
Gates that the stomach OF patients suf-
fering from peculiar maladies be cut out
quick attention being called to the danger
OF waiting too long
In arriving at this conclusion DR.. Met
chinoff finds that after all, the inside Of
the human body is nothing more nor less
than an elaborate garden or sort cf zoo
for the incubation and propagation of
endless swarms and varities Of microbes,
all Of which is very pleasant - think of,
especially to the man who is wont to
frequently indulge in his cold bottle and
hot bird
In ccntradistinction to what the So
called eminent exerts of this and tie Old
world have to say on the subiec-. il is
equally eminent doctors, of St Paul. take
an entirely different view of the subject
DIR. KELLY OF ST. PAUL DENIES IT.
Among those who Go not concur with.
the finely spun argument of Dr. Metchin-
koT and other physicians to the effect
that the stomach is not really necessary
to mans existence is DIR. w. D. Kelly, Of
st. 2aul, who had the distinction of being
under the tutelage of the renowned l,rs
Metchinkoff, while he was pursuing his
medical studies in Paris, and wish ali
due resect to the latter, Dr. Kelly cannot
agree with him when it comes to the
theory that mans life can be Indefinite
~ prolonged without stomach.
Il do not believe" said he ''that tho
doctor gave expression to such views
and certainly not without qualifications
Certainly, it is possible to remove the
stomach, but when this is done. the ma
tlent can survive only for a definite or
limited period. This, I have demonstrat-
ed recently, myself, with my experiments
with dogs. 1 removed the stomachs Of
several dogs. and while they survived the
operation, they kept on losing flesh and
eventually died. In these cases a post
mortem revealed the fact that nature
mao undertaken to rearijust itself, by
making an attempt TO provide the animal
with new stomach by dilation Of the
edges OF the aesophagUs, with the small
lntestines, or so-called swallow and tube
leading to the 4tOmach This demon
strated to my mind, that nature did nor
think dog, much less a human being
could get along very we'll without
stomach. A stomach, per Sc. "a
natures RECEPTACLE for food, and
digestion takes place outside the
stomach, with the exception of sugar
and starches. In some cases, sucn es
cancer, surgical operation is some
times justifiable in order to save the
patients life, but the idea of a human
being living indefinitely without a
stomach, is ehimerical. Thus far it has
not been demonstrated that such a con-
dition is rossi' le
In cases of operation for gall bladder.
etc, the ntcstines may be artificiallv fed
by means Of a rectal tube but this is
only for the period of the operation
In speaking OF the swarms of bacteria.
Which i1nabit the body, Dr. Kelly said
that many of them are harmless. and
they feed upon one another, some of
them being beneficial to the body, both in
health and disease.
Dr. o. w. Archibald. now of St. PAM
and who, as former superintendent Of the
insane hospital, at Jamestown. n. D..
where he made study, among other NAL
aides, of stomach troubles, expressed
himself in decided opposition to the views
of the Partisan, and ether physicians
who advocate the removal of the
stomach.
Anyone" said he, physicians or
otherwise, who says that the stomach
was made in vain does a great injustice
to an all-Wise Creator. There is an old
saying, that "if thine eye offend thee
cut it out" but should we pluck both
eyes out, you can imagine the condition
of the human species. The statement
that the human organism is as well Off
without a stomach, is all nonsense. both
from a. physical, surgical and common
sense standpoint. The stomach is the
true receptacle for food which, after un-
dergofng partial digestion passes into re
small intestines where the digestion OF
the greatest moment occurs, in conjunc-
ton with the larger intestines, which
make up what we are pleased to call the
bowels. In cases where the stomach is
so diseased as to obstruct the ingress of
food or passage into the small intestincs
a skillful operation may remove the i'm
pedimept, when connection may be made
with the upper part of the small intes-
tine to the lower end of the aesophagus.
which leads to the upper part of the
stomach. In cases where food cannot be
received CT passed through the stomach
or intestines, its removal may prolonss
life for period, but this does not In
validate the value or use of the organ
which is one of the most Important anG
rl at of the alimentiary system.
DR.. w. D. Morley. of this city, who has
made study of stomach disorders
especially with children, expressed about
lion