Year: 1873

The main agent in the process of diges-
ton is the gastric juice, Of which a healthy
human stomach secretes not less than
about 20 ounces (4t pints) every day. As
the muscles are those portions OF the Dooy
most subject to waste, every motion OF


imD requiring consumption OF hbrih, Q
large portion of gastric juice Is consumed
IN making fbrin for muscular repair 1t
mas been ascertained that, in average mus
GUAR action, the consumption of fibrin Is
ABOUT 6O grains per day, requiring nearly
W ounces of gastric Juice for the forma-
tion OF new substance to replace 1t. The
food after reaching the stomach, forms a
kind OF pulpy mass, subject to an inter-
mittent slow rotation by the alternate con-
traction Of the fibers Of the exterior mus
cular coat; In this, the respiratory move
ments assist greatly. If the contents con.
tain too much liquid, q large portion Of
this Is directly absorbed, by endosmose of
the coats of the stomach, and enters the
circulation at once, so that the mass re-
naming may have the consistency proper
for the performance of this rotary mo-
ton. The exterior portions of this pulpy
mass, which have undergone complete
treatment by passage and friction along
the interior coat Of the stomach, ooze out
into the intestines through valve (called
the pytoric) in a semi-fiuid state, appa-
rently homogeneous, called chynse. Its
formation requires from one to four hours,
while the muscular movement of the in
testine prOpels 1t forward to the du0de-
mum, where it Is mixed with the pancre-
attic juice secreted by the pancreas, the en-
teric juice secreted by Brunner's glands,
and the bile secreted by the liver.


Several erroneous theories formerly
prevailed in regard to the digestive power
of the stomach. One was that digestion
was simply mechanical operation, and
that the food was ground up fine; but
this was disproved BY incl0sing meat In
small hollow silver balls, full of holes,
attaching them to a string, and causing
them to be swallowed by dog; when,
after few hours, they were withdrawn,
the meat was found fully digested, which
could not be due to any grinding power,
as 1t was fully protected against this. The
other theory was that digestion was due
to nervous agency, because it was much
interfered with when the pneumogastric
nerve was divided; but then it was proved
that this simply paralyzed the motion of
the stomach, and prevented the rotation
and expulsion of the food, while the Be-
creti0n of gastric juice and its action on
the food was in no way interfered with.
A third theory was that the food was
vitalized in the stomach; that is, by
means of some mysterious change, it was
made to share In the vitality of that
organ; but such theory Is highly un-
scientific, and nothing more or less than
an attempt to explain the mystery by a
word of obscure meaning, while it does
not elucidate anything. 1t must be con-
sidered that even when the food Is inside
the stomach it is, anatomically speaking,
yet outside the body or system, and can
not become part of the system before con-
tact action takes place; and this action Is
chemical. The chemical theory of digess
ton, then, is now accepted as the true
one and 1t is corroborated by the fact
that physiological chemists have succeed
ed In perfect artificial imitation of diges-
ton, between which and the natural diges-
ton there Is no difference whatever
Scientific American.