CONDITIONS OF SECRETION OF GASTRIC JUICE. 161 



the juice has become saturated, it refuses to dissolve more; and, if an excess 

 of loud has been taken, the residue remains in the stomach, or passes into 

 the bowels in a crude state, and becomes a source of nervous irritation, pain, 

 and disease for a long time." The unfavorable effect of an undue burden 

 of food upon the Stomach itself, interferes with its healthy action ; and thus 

 the quantity really appropriate is not dissolved. The febrile disturbance is 

 thus increased ; and the mucous membrane of the stomach exhibits evident 

 indications of its morbid condition. The description of these indications 

 given by Dr. Beaumont, is peculiarly graphic, as well as hygienically im- 

 portant. " In disease or partial derangement of the healthy function, the 

 mucous membrane presents various and essentially different appearances. 

 In febrile conditions of the system, occasioned by whatever cause, obstructed 

 perspiration, undue excitement by stimulating liquors, overloading the stom- 

 ach with food, fear, anger, or whatever depresses or disturbs the nervous 

 system, the villous coat becomes sometimes red and dry, at other times 

 pale and moist, and loses its smooth and healthy appearance ; the secretions 

 become vitiated, greatly diminished, or even suppressed ; the coat of mucus 

 scarcely perceptible, the follicles flat and flaccid, with secretions insufficient 

 to prevent the papilla; from irritation. There are sometimes found, on the 

 internal coat of the stomach, eruptions of deep-red pimples, not numerous, 

 but distributed here and there upon the villous membrane, rising above the 

 surface of the mucous coat. These are at first sharp-pointed, and red, but 

 frequently become filled with white purulent matter. At other times, irregu- 

 lar, circumscribed red patches, varying in size and extent from half an inch 

 to an inch and a half in circumference, are found on the internal coat. 

 These appear to be the effects of congestion in the minute bloodvessels of 

 the stomach. There are also seen at times small aphthous crusts in connec- 

 tion with these red patches. Abrasion of the lining membrane, like the 

 rolling up of the mucous coat into small shreds or strings, leaving the papillae 

 bare for an indefinite space, is not an uncommon appearance. These dis- 

 eased appearances, when very slight, do not always affect essentially the 

 gastric apparatus. When considerable, and particularly when there are 

 corresponding symptoms of disease, as dryuess of the mouth, thirst, accel- 

 erated pulse, etc. no gastric juice can be extracted by the alimentary stimulus. 

 Drinks are immediately absorbed or otherwise disposed of; but food taken 

 in this condition of the stomach remains undigested for twenty- four or forty- 

 eight hours, or more, increasing the derangement of the alimentary canal, 

 and aggravating the general symptoms of disease. After excessive eating 

 or drinking, chymification is retarded ; and, though the appetite be not 

 always impaired at first, the fluids become acrid and sharp, excoriating the 

 edges of the aperture, and almost invariably producing aphthous patches 

 and the other indications of a diseased state of the internal membrane. 

 Vitiated bile is also found in the stomach under these circumstances, and 

 flocculi of mucus are more abundant than in health. Whenever this morbid 

 condition of the stomach occurs, with the usual accompanying symptoms of 

 disease, there is generally a corresponding appearance of the tongue. When a 

 healthy state of the stomach is restored, the tongue invariably becomes clean." 1 



1 Dr. A. Combe's commentary on the above passage is too apposite to be omitted. 

 " Many persons who obviously live too freely, protest against the fact, because they 

 feel no immediate inconvenience, either from the quantity of food, or the stimulants 

 in which they habitually indulge; or in other words, because they experience no 

 pain, sickness, or headache, nothing, perhaps, except slight fulness and oppression, 

 which soon go off. Observation extended over a sufficient length of time, however, 

 shows that the conclusion drawn is entirely fallacious, and that the real amount of 

 injury is not felt at the moment, merely because, for a wise purpose, nature has de- 



