556 DIGESTION. 



the stomach experiences any mutation. M. Dumas 1 was of opinion, that 

 when the organ is empty, it receives less blood than when full; either 

 on account of the great flexion of the vessels in the former case, or on 

 account of the compression experienced by the nerves in consequence 

 of the contracted state of the organ. He thinks that, under such cir- 

 cumstances, a part of the blood sent to it reflows into the liver, spleen, 

 and omentum; and he regards these organs as diverticula for the blood 

 of the stomach, especially as the liver and spleen are then less com- 

 pressed, and the omentum more extensive, owing to the retraction of 

 the stomach. Bichat, however, denies both the fact and its explanation. 

 He affirms, that on opening animals suffering under hunger, he never 

 observed the vessels of the stomach less full of blood, the mucous mem- 

 brane less florid, or the vessels of the omentum more turgid. Is it not 

 true, he adds, that the vessels of the stomach are more flexuous when 

 the organ is empty? being, as well as the nerves, connected with the 

 serous coat, they are unaffected by changes of size in the organ; and 

 besides, the retraction of the stomach could never be great enough to 

 compress the nerves. He denies, moreover, that the liver and spleen 

 are more free, and the omentum larger, whilst the stomach is empty, 

 as the abdominal parietes contract in the same proportion as the stomach. 

 Magendie, 2 however, contests this last assertion of Bichat; and affirms, 

 on the faith of positive experiments, that the pressure sustained by the 

 abdominal viscera is in a ratio with the distension of the stomach. If 

 the stomach be full, the finger, introduced into the cavity of the abdo- 

 men through an incision in its parietes, will be strongly pressed upon, 

 and the viscera forced towards the opening ; whilst, if it be empty, the 

 pressure as well as the tendency of the viscera to escape through the 

 opening is considerable. During the state of vacuity of the organ, 

 he remarked that the different reservoirs in the cavity of the abdomen, 

 the bladder and gall bladder, were more easily filled by their proper 

 fluids. With regard to the quantity of blood circulating through the 

 stomach in the empty and full state, he is disposed to believe, that the 

 organ receives less in the former condition ; but that in this respect it 

 does not differ from other abdominal viscera. 



The general effects, said to be produced by hunger, in contradistinc- 

 tion to the local, are; debility and diminished action of every organ; 

 the circulation and respiration are less frequent; the heat of the body 

 sinks; the secretions diminish, and all the functions are exerted 1 with 

 more difficulty, if we except absorption, which it is affirmed, and with 

 much probability, is augmented. If the abstinence be so long protracted 

 as to cause death, the debility of the functions becomes real, and not 

 sympathetic. Respiration and circulation languish; all the animal 

 functions totter; whilst absorption continues, and the blood is supplied 

 by the decomposition of the different organs, the fat, the various 

 liquid matters and the tissues of the organs being successively sub- 

 jected to its action. It is obvious, however, that, with the drain per- 

 petually taking place, this state of affairs cannot exist long ; the blood 

 becomes diminished in quantity, and insufficient in every respect to 

 vivify the organs; the functions of the brain are perverted, and, in 



1 Principes de Physiologie, Paris, 1806. a Precis, &c., edit, cit., ii. 26. 



