The sun., 1901-08-11

IA usdus sunantsAicns; but. = IL
eminent Frsnch Psychologist, cfAups
BERNAnD. showed - least nifty years
ego, most a the processes of stomach
digestion ciossly resemble cooking. and
the final digestion Of most articles takes
place In tho small intestine. In the
stomach. raw starohcs are hydrsted,
fats are sst free from the fat yesicies,
meats are softened into Q pulpy mat
ter. and there IA little or no nutritive
absorption. t
Some years before SCHLArrEB ex-
tirpated the human stomach tho stom-
achs were removed from dogs, in
France and Germany. The animals
did well and. with great care in feeding,
digestion and nutrition seemed to be
normal. Physiology, therefore. seems
to answer in the negative the question
q to whether the stomach 10 an organ
Immediately essential TO life.
The surgical procedure Of the present
day renders possible operations that
may be regarded as surgical exploits.
doing more for the renown or noto-
riety OF the surgeon than for the good
Of the patient. Is gastrectomy simply
q surgical exploit or 10 1t q justifiable
operation2 He was q bold surgeon
who did the first operation; but the re-
suit and the results Of others have
clearly shown that removal Of tho stom-
ach, in certain cases at least, is justi-
fable. An operation. especially when
rendered painless by anesthetics, which
offers q reasonable prospect OF relief
from suffering, and even . few weeks
or months longer Of life, Ii humane.
In certain cases Of extensive cancerous
disease with profound cachexia, cure
10 not to be expected; but in others,
life and physical comfort may be pro-
longed for months and even years.
The teachings Of physiology and the
experience OF surgery show that fairly
good digestion and nutrition may exist
without the stomach. Physicians are
able now to initiate the action OF the
stomach In the preparation OF food.
So far a. the stomach is concerned,
food may be introduced pre-digested; ;
and, il given In small quantities and
frequently, the uses Of the stomach
as a food receptacle and an organ pre-
parstory, in its action, to intestinal
digestion may be artihcially supplied.
Putrefactive action and untoward fer
mentations, Also. may easily be pre-
vented.
The happiness Of possessing tract
able, Trustworthy, stalwart and well-or-
ordered stomach is best appreciated by
those whose stomachs are occasionally
disordered. When the stomach does not
properly prepare food for the intestines.
the liver and the pancreas, these latter
organs are likely to protest, sometimes
very emphatically. No one is well
and happy who is compelled to pay
constant attention to his diet and Is
unable to eat this and that, these articles
being good and wholesome. Physicians
often make the mistake Of endeavor-
ing to adapt the diet Of dyspeptics to
the disordered organs Of digestion,
instead Of trying to bring the digestive
organs to q condition in which they
will digest proper food in proper guam
tity. A dyspeptic who constantly
watches his diet is dyspeptio for life.
As it appears now, a refractory and
unpleasant stomach might be safely
removed from an otherwise healthy
man, without endangering or short
ening life. Will the time ever come
when adventurous surgeons will re-
move the stomach for intractable and
distressing dyspepsia not dependent
on serious structural disease?