Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-10-24
THE STOMACH At WORK.
INV. show n Contented Mind IL
.ss.u,.ai TO Good Digestion.

Issen,lai TO Good Digestion
Uuiii within very recent years any
exact scientific knowledge OF 'ne az
tual workings of the stomach nau peeA
,,un.sl,, because there was no way
n which Il normal stomach could DO
yjsib.y observed while diGesung COM
Portable dinner. The discovery OF tue
y ray. LoweYer has been uuiizeu Jul
inc the past few years by DR.. W. ID.
Cannon OF the Harvard Medlcai scnoo,
in study of digestive processes lha'
presents an interesting chapter In mou-
ern scientific investigation.
Tho operations of a cats digestive
organs. so far as they are yet Ano"n'
are very much like MANS anu a.
though the cats stomach is not lrnpe,
vious TO the y ray, If the cat had swan
lowed Il small metal button the y ray
os everybody now knows. wouio pro-
duce a shadowgraph of that Du''on,
This fact is the basis or the hal'"
scientists remarkable series OF eAper-
imcnts. The cat was given suostaii-
tiol meal of bread softened win lille
and mixed with subnitrate or Dlsinu'n
harmless. nonirritating powuer
which presents the necessary cohuiuoi
Of beine impervious to the y ray-ahu
nloced in position to be Observed Ut
RANGED especially with view 10 tne
animals comfort during the ensuing
period Of digestion.
Ahout five minutes after the meal OF
broad milk and bismuth the Outline VI
the cats stomach, as represented ny
ne contents, appeared on the screen OIL
| tho Y raw apparatus. the screen peiis
above and the mechanism TOT genera
inc the X ray being beneath the sup
ror+ on which the cat rested. For
fav minutes this shadow remains
ouiet but from this time on unul
broad and subnitrate Of bismutn nave
left the stomach the inner mecnan
ism works under ordinary condiuonS
with clocklike regularity, and the OUT
! line of the shadow Is in constaht no
tion visiblv undulating in monotonou'
raSnonse TO n series of waves passing
ovar ito surface and showing plainly
the method by which the stolnaci
churns and digests its contents. Ines'
waves. starting near the center OF ln'
stomach and moving toward the lu'eS
+;,os reour at ten second Intervals
Whom one wave is Just beginning sew
eral others are visible running VI
ahead OF il. and during a single perlo'
NJ digestion their number reaches tn
amazing total of about 1900 succeed
ing waves. it'll,
Ono of the interesting facts visibl.
| illustrated by this curious SHADOW pan
+omime Is the close relation between
the condition Of the mind and that o
the stomach. When the cat pecan
onprv at any cause. for example IN
waves that had been following eac
other regularly over the stomach cease
moving. and digestion was evluehti
entirely suspended. On one occaSio
, whom the undulations were coursln
: regularly over the stomach the anlma
suddenly changed from condition Q
peaceful sleepiness and Degan
breathe quickly and endeavor TO &c
loose from her fastenings. AS soon a
, this change took place the undulatlon
of the stomach stopped, and its ou
line presented a smooth, rounded az
= nearance. The operator continued IL
. observations, stroking the cat reassu
= inglv. and in a few moments puss
was again purring contentediy ana III
stomach had resumed its monotonousl
regular motion. In short. any exper
ence of strong feeling on the part
, the animal is Immediately reflected .
: the action of the stomach, scientif
. observation that should lead though
. full humans to get mad or worry
q they must get mad or worry Defol
o meals. but never Immediately afte
# | ward.
s The stomach itself. or, rather, II
n shadow of its contents as thrown
!. the screen Of the y ray apparatus, ia
v urally becomes less and less visible
. digestion progresses. and at + o'cio'
the process which began at IL Is pra
II tically finished, and the shadow
Is hardly more than spot Of gray on
le white background.