388 [Jan. 8, 



this happens to be one of the necessary conditions of life), the stomach 

 will be supplied with a source of protection competent to afford it 

 the security from attack by its own secretion that it enjoys. 



Digestion of the stomach may be effected after death, because the 

 blood, being then stagnant, is incapable of offering the barrier pro- 

 duced by a circulating current. 



Experiments were mentioned in which the circulation through the 

 stomach had been arrested during life so as to imitate the condition, 

 as far as the stomach was concerned, that exists after death. 

 Although this was effected whilst the process of digestion was 

 actively proceeding, yet it was only in some cases that the mucous 

 membrane of the stomach was attacked. On repeating the experi- 

 ment, however, having previously introduced a dilute non-corrosive 

 acid (the phosphoric and citric were the acids employed) into the 

 stomach, the result was solution and perforation in a short space of 

 time. 



The author had expected, when he commenced his experiments, to 

 have obtained the same result upon arresting the circulation through 

 the stomach as occurs after death ; but it became evident to him on 

 reflection that although the circulation through the stomach may be 

 stopped by ligatures during life, yet the conditions are not thereby 

 rendered completely identical with those prevailing after death. 

 There is still a circulation all around the stomach, and from the 

 facility with which the permeation of fluids takes place, a certain 

 amount of counteractive influence would still be exerted. By the 

 artificial introduction, however, of an acid into the cavity of the 

 stomach before its vessels were ligatured, the surrounding circulation 

 became inadequate to afford the required neutralizing power, and 

 perforation therefore quickly resulted. 



It did not appear to the author that the digestion of the living 

 tissues of animals referred to in the first part of his paper formed any 

 valid objection to his view. In the case of the frog's legs, he con- 

 sidered it might be fairly taken that the amount of blood possessed 

 by the animal would be inadequate to furnish the required means of 

 resistance. In the case of the rabbit's ear, the vascularity of the 

 part being so much less than that of the walls of the stomach, he 

 thought there was nothing unreasonable in conceiving that, whilst 

 the one might receive protection through the circulating alkaline 



