248 OUTPOSTS OF THE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE 



The signilicanee of this phenomenon is plain. In Cannon's 

 words : 



" The very condition which causes hunger and leads to the 

 taking of food is the condition, when the swallowed food stretches 

 the shortened muscles, for immediate starting of gastric peri- 

 stalsis. In this connection, the observations of Haudek and 

 Stigler are probably significant. They found that the stomach 

 discharges its contents more rapidly if food is eaten in hunger 

 than if not so eaten. Hunger, in other words, is normally the 

 signal that the stomach is contracted for action ; the unpleasant- 

 ness of hunger leads to eating, eating starts gastric digestion and 

 abolishes the sensation. Meanwhile the pancreatic and intestinal 

 juices as well as bile have been prepared in the duodenum to 

 receive the oncoming chyme. The periodic activity of the alimen- 

 tary canal in fasting, therefore, is not solely the source of hunger 

 pangs, but is at the same time an exhibition in the digestive 

 organs of readiness for prompt attack on the food swallowed by 

 the hungry animal." 



Further Reading 



Adrian. " The Basis of Sensation."' Christopliers. 



Cannon. " Bodily Changes in Pain, Hunger, Fear and Rage." Apj)leton 



Harris. "The Functional Inertia of Living Matter." J. & A. Churchil] 



