26 ORGANS OF DIGESTION. 



a line in thickness, and can be readily raised up by dissection, 

 In an undistended state of the stomach it is arranged into a 

 number of wrinkles, which are very irregular in their form, 

 size, and direction, but disappear immediately on distention, or 

 at least leave but very faint traces. It is continuous with the 

 internal membrane of the oesophagus and of the duodenum, but 

 presents a surface differing from either of them, and which is 

 rendered very apparent by floating it in water. The epidermis, 

 which is continued along the internal face of the O3sophagus, 

 ceases as mentioned around the cardiac orifice, and. by a slight 

 maceration, may be raised up and demonstrated to terminate 

 there. 



This mucous membrane or coat, the office of which is to se- 

 crete the gastric juice for the digestion of articles of food, pre- 

 sents a surface that resembles very much common velvet, from 

 whence the term villous was applied to it. Jf it be perfectly 

 healthy, and the individual died suddenly a few hours after eat- 

 ing it is found of a uniform light pink colour, without blotches 

 or any thing of extravasation under it. This fact I have had 

 several opportunities of verifying, by experiment and by autop- 

 sies:* And more lately in the person of a criminal, Williams, 

 executed for murder. t It is usual, in fact, to find it, if examined 

 a short time after death, having, particularly along the smaller 

 curvature and at the great end, a pink and sometimes a deeper 

 colour, produced by an accumulation of blood in its veins. 



The texture of this membrane is soft, loose, and easily lace- 

 rated. When floated in water and examined with a magnify- 

 ing glass, it is found to have a superficial honey-comb arrange- 

 ment, and to be studded with a multitude of small follicles or 

 orifices. In the vicinity of the cardiac and of the pyloric ori- 

 fice, the same arrangement is more obvious, and conducts to 

 some small muciparous glands, which are more or less apparent, 

 and called the glands of Brunner. 



At the junction of the lesser extremity of the stomach with 

 the duodenum, the internal membrane is thrown into a circular 

 duplicature constituting the pyloric valve, and abridging the 

 size of the orifice. It is seen most favourably in the distended 



* See Amer. Journal Med. Sciences, Vol. I. 1827. Homer's Pathol. Anat. 

 p. 195, &c. 



t Aug. .9 1839. 



