422 OF FOOD, AND THE DIGESTIVE PROCESS. 



internal coat. These appear to be the effects of congestion in the minute blood- 

 vessels of the stomach. There are also seen at times small aphthous crusts, in 

 connection 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 diseased 

 appearances, when very slight, do not always affect essentially the gastric appa- 

 ratus. When considerable, and particularly when there are corresponding 

 symptoms of disease as dryness of the mouth, thirst, accelerated pulse, &c. 

 no gastric juice can be extracted by the alimentary stimulus. Drinks are imme- 

 diately 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 re- 

 tarded ; and, though the appetite be not always impaired at first, the fluids 

 become acrid and sharp, excoriating the edges of the aperture, and almost in- 

 variably 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 accom- 

 panying symptoms of disease, there is generally a corresponding appearance of 

 the tongue. When a healthy state of the stomach is restored, the tongue inva- 

 riably becomes clean." 1 



445. That the secretion of Gastric Juice is affected in a very marked manner 

 by conditions of the Nervous system, is indicated by the effect of mental emotions 

 in putting an immediate stop to the digestive process, when it is going on with 

 full vigor. But it is still more conclusively proved by the effect of division of 

 the Pneumogastric nerve ; which almost instantaneously checks the elaboration 

 of the fluid. The most satisfactory evidence of the influence of this operation 

 is afforded by the experiments of M. Bernard upon dogs in whose stomachs 

 fistulous orifices had been established. For when the section was made during 

 the free flow of gastric juice (through a canula previously introduced into the 

 stomach), excited by the presence of an alimentary bolus, the flow immediately 

 ceased, and the mucous membrane, which had been tense and turgid the moment 

 before, became withered and pale. On introducing the finger into the stomach 

 itself, the walls were perceived to be perfectly flaccid, and there was no longer 

 the gentle pressure which had been previously felt. The rapidity and complete- 

 ness of this influence are further demonstrated by the following ingenious ex- 

 periment, devised by M. Bernard. The two substances emulsin (the albuminous 

 matter found in almonds) and amyydalin (the active principle of bitter almonds) 



* 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 imme- 

 diate 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 deprived us of any consciousness of either 

 the existence or the state of the stomach during health. In accordance with this, Dr. 

 Beaumont's experiments prove, that extensive ery thematic inflammation of the mucous coat 

 of the stomach was of frequent occurrence in St. Martin after excesses in eating, and 

 especially in drinking, even when no marked general symptom was pi-esent to indicate its 

 existence. Occasionally, febrile heat, nausea, headache, and thirst were complained of., 

 but not always. Had St. Martin's stomach, and its inflamed patches, not been visible to 

 the eye, he too might have pleaded that his temporary excesses did him no harm ; but, 

 when they presented themselves in such legible characters that Dr. Beaumont could not 

 miss seeing them, argument and supposition were at an end, and the broad fact could not 

 be denied." ' 



