INFLUENCE OF THE NEKVOTJS SYSTEM ON THE STOMACH. 285 



posed the mucous membrane of the stomach, he found that 

 an acid fluid appeared in parts which were subjected to me- 

 chanical or galvanic irritation. 1 The general results of his ex- 

 periments on this subject were that after the division of both 

 pneumogastric nerves, small quantities of food could be di- 

 gested in the stomach, but that a considerable mass was only 

 chymified on the surface, the centre not undergoing any altera- 

 tion. This he attributes, not so much to arrest of secretion 

 of the gastric juice, as to paralysis of the movements of the 

 stomach, which, when the mass of food is considerable, are 

 necessary in order to expose all parts to the action of the 

 gastric juice. 3 



The experiments of Bernard on this subject are very clear 

 and satisfactory. When the mucous membrane of the stom- 

 ach was turgid with blood, the animal (a dog) being in full 

 digestion and provided with a large gastric fistula so that 

 the changes which might take place in the stomach could be 

 readily observed, the pneuinogastrics were divided in the 

 neck. At once the mucous membrane became pale and flac- 

 cid, and the secretion of gastric juice was arrested. When 

 the animal died after section of the pneumogastrics during 

 digestion, it was remarked that the absorption of chyle 

 seemed to have been arrested, the lacteals being found to 

 contain coagulated chyle even as far as the villi of the intes- 

 tines. 3 According to these experiments, the action of gas- 

 tric juice which might exist in the stomach at the time of 

 section of the pneumogastrics would continue, but no new 

 fluid is secreted ; and if the fluid thus remaining in the 

 stomach be neutralized, digestion is immediately arrested. 

 In one experiment in which the pneumogastrics had been 

 divided, having previously emptied the stomach, Bernard 

 introduced meat finely divided. The next day the meat had 



1 LONGET, TraitS de Physiologic, Paris, 1861, tome i., p. 235. 



2 Op. cit., p. 237. 



8 BERNARD, Lemons de Physiologic Experimentale, Paris, 1856, p. 438. 



