The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-12
ANSE4NN1!c[lQcR0lEE
- 3Iz( i
THE STOMACH.
(Cor,rght, ly5.)

Copyright lsl5)
There Is an old saying that many people
dig their graves with their teeth. and
believe that the majority who have to
deal with the health of the people would
heartily indorse the expression.
The length of the stomach in a person
| Of normal size Is about Twelve inches.
and its width from four to five inches.
1t contracts, however. during digestion.
SO that the distance between the two
openings of the stomach varies three to
six inches. Its average capacity Is about
five pints or the contents of ten drinking
glasses. This capacity. OF course. is
when the stomach Is thoroughly stretched
and full.
We can readily see that with many peo-
pie the stomach has little opportunity to
contract until II is from three to six
inches in length and when II is over
loaded the muscles are so stretched that
the peristaltic Is retarded.
The length of time for stomach diges-
ton varies. of course, with the quantity
of food. the quality of food. the strength
Of the muscular walls of the stomach and
the quantity of gastric Juice poured into
it. The gastric juice pours out into the
stomach very much as the saliva pours
into the mouth
|. In speaking of digestion most people
think of stomach digestion. but. marvel
of marvels. I saw an account Of a medi-
cal operation, a few days ago, where all
but about two inches Of the upper part of
the stomach. or the part next to the ESQ
phagus. was removed with cancer. The
lower part Of what remained was drawn
together and sewed to the duodenum or
small intestine. This patient. at last re-
ports. was taking food about a teaspoon
ful at time. 1t took him about two
hours to get sufficient food for bodily
sustenance. but the medical authorities
agreed that the man had a chance of a
long life under proper dietary directions.
The mucous lining of the stomach has
very little absorptive power and almost
all food which enters the stomach passes
INTO the intestfnes and all food can be
digested in the intestines
II Will be necessary for the man refer
red to above to masticate his food thor
oushly because the food will not be
mixed with gastric Juice. and unless mas
ticated thoroughly it will enter the intes-
unes IN chunks and 1t will take the in
testinal juices longer to put this food
into state OF solubility for absorption.
Much of stomach and intestinal dis
turbance Is due to the fact that the food
Is not thoroughly masticated and mixed
with saliva before it enters the stomach.
saiiva Is one OF the most important of
the digestive juices.
The stomach always contains a certain
quantity of gas. but when much gas L,
present in the stomach it is an indication
that digestion is not sufficiently rapid and
the food ferments in the stomach. A part
OF the gases that pass into the stomach
is swallowed with the saliva mixed with
the food and a part passes backward
from the duodenum
100 much gas in the stomach usually
indicates that the gastric juice Is deficient
either in quantity or quality.
The pouring of the gastric Juice into the
stomach Is intermittent. Some authori-
ties hold that the gastric juice begins to
flow at the sight of food which one likes.