The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-13
Your Health
 By Dr. William Brady

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 William Brady. National News-
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 CAPACITY or THE STOMACH
 Size of the stomach varies great ly in different individuals but the average dimensions are from 10 to i2 Inches in length and [ inches in transverse diameter at about the middle, and the capacity of the normal stomach is Q approximately 3 i.2 pintS or slightly less than half a Eallon. This does not mean that e normal person can drlrk three pints of water or other liQuid at one sitting, but merely that the stomach can hold that quentity without discomfort.
 A frequent question is whether the stomach can shrink" or rex. pand,' that is, whether the size or the stomach determines the lndl. viduals appetite to the amount or food tho individual must take u order to feel satisfied.
 The answer is yes, in c way. The stomach doesn't actually shrink" or dilate in healthy person, but being 0 muscular organ, widenea place along the alimentary canal. to changes considerably in capacity or size from moment to moment, during digestion of food. It Is a mistake to think of the stomach as a receptable of the conventionalized shape depleted in the almanacis and the sucker bait of "X-ray' quacks. Nearer the truth othink of 1t as widened place in the food tube. Ev- cry twenty seconds or so, dcring di'A gestion, perlstaltic or contractionS or waves pass leisurely from about the middle on to the lower outlet (pylorus) of the stomach, md this change in shape and capacity pro" pels food toward the pylorus or. when part of the food is sufficient ly digested, elects 1t through tho pylorus into the upper portion or the intestine (ruodenum) where it is further digested by the paflcrea- tice juice and the bile, Of course this peristaltic movement, wave or contraction is automatic, goes on independently of tho consciousness, will or sensation of feeling of tho individual. Moreover this physical or muscular or motor part of diges- ton is not limited to the stomach but occurs more or less through the length of the ailmeritary canal or food tube, and is no more subject to regulation by physic or other medicine than is your breathing or the beating of your heart, stupid.
 The muscle coat of the stomach and the entire length of the intes' tine, like the muscle coat of the arteries throughout the body, tho heart which is composed chiefly Of muscle and indeed the voluntary or skeletal muscles of the healthy in- dividuals have tone" - meaning firmncss, reslliency. When the stomach has good tone a reason- able amount of food gives that vague satisfaction which commonly called filling the stomach" On the other hand, if the stomach has poor tone 1t is comparatively fiabby and it takes more food to i'll" 1t, al- though this is not literally true, for there is never any empty space in the stomach.
 Deficiency of vitamin B-complex. particularly Bi (thiamine) impairs this muscle tone. Increased intake of B-complex improves muscle tone throughout the body. O great many fiabby, overweight (because of ex- cessive consumption of refined car- bohydrate foods), individuals have found that an adequate daily intake of vitamin B-complex for reason- able length of time makes them feel satisfied with less food than they formerly required.