324 Caufe of Flatulency. [Book IX. 



grains of the inner coat of the ftomach infufed in wa- 

 ter, gave a liquor which coagulated more than a 

 hundred ounces of milk. - 



All fermentation is quite foreign to perfect di- 

 geftion, and when it does take place, is always propor- 

 tioned to the diforder of the ftomach, fmce very little 

 if any wind or flatulency is generated in the ftomachs 

 of thofe, whofe digeftion Is moft quick and eafy. It 

 is not uncommon, however, for milk, vegetables, 

 wine, 'and whatever has fugar in its compofition, to 

 become fooner four in fomc ftomachs than if left to 

 undergo a fpontaneous change out of the body ; and 

 even fpirits^ in certain ftomachs, almoft immediately 

 degenerate into a very ftrong acid. All oily fubftances, 

 particularly butter, become rancid very foon after being 

 taken into the ftomach, and this rancidity is the firft 

 procefs in the fermentation of oil. Animal food does 

 not fo readily ferment in difeafed ftomachs, when com- 

 bined with vegetables, as when it is not, Flefh meat 

 appears to undergo no change preparatory to digeftion, 

 but feems at once to fubmit to the action of the gaftric 

 juice. It appears firft to lofe its texture, then becomes 

 of a cineritious colour, next gelatinous, and laftly, is 

 converted into chyle. 



In order to afcertain whether the production of 

 any degree of acidity is efiential to digeftion, Dr. For- 

 dyce made feveral experiments, from which he con- 

 cludes, that in perfect digeftion no acidity whatever is 

 produced. 



If the gaftric juice is applied to a fubftance out of 

 the body, in a proper temperature, it will produce 

 changes in it, fimilar to thofe which take place in the 

 commencement of digeftion ; but by applying gaftric 

 juice, the watery fluids of the ftomach, the faliva, the 



bile, 



