234 APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY 



same point.* Hence cold fluids are more apt to escape 

 over into the intestine imperfectly warmed, and may thus 

 excite diarrhoea. The best temperature for food is that 

 of the body, for it then stays the shortest time in the 

 stomach. This should be remembered in cases such as 

 those of atonic dyspepsia, in which it is important that 

 the food and especially its fluid constituents should be 

 passed on out of the stomach as quickly as possible. 



4. By reducing 1 the protein constituents of the food 

 to a soluble form, the stomach helps to prepare them 

 for more complete digestion in the intestine. In study- 

 ing this process one has to do with the three physio- 

 logical properties of the stomach : (a) sensibility, (6) 

 secretion, (c) motility ; and for the sake of clearness it 

 will be well to take these up separately, especially as the 

 disorders of gastric digestion can be traced in every 

 instance to a disturbance of one or more of these 

 functions. 



Sensibility. 



Normally the stomach does not appear to be sensitive in 

 the ordinary sense, or, at all events, any sensations which 

 proceed from it fail to reach the seat of consciousness. 

 It would appear, however, that the degree of anaesthesia 

 of the stomach varies in different persons, for some, at 

 least, are able to discriminate between hot and cold 

 liquids when introduced by the stomach tube.t It is 

 noteworthy that in such cases the sensation is referred, 



* See Mueller, Zeit. f. Didt. und Phys. Therapie, 1905, Bd. viii., 

 Heft 11. 



t Neumann, Archiv f. VerdauungsTcrcmkh., 1907, xiii. 81. 



