216 



GASTEIC DIGESTION. 



The secreting portion is lined by the peptic and the acid-cells already 

 described. In Fig. 61 the darker cells are the acid-cells, and the lighter 

 cells, the peptic cells. In Fig. 62 the secreting portion contains peptic cells 

 only. 



Closed Follicles. In the substance of the mucous membrane, between the 

 tubes and near their cascal extremities, are occasionally found closed follicles, 

 like the solitary glands and patches of Peyer of the intestines. These are 

 not always present in the adult but are generally found in children. They 

 are usually most abundant over the greater curvature, though they may be 

 found in other situations. In their anatomy they are identical with the closed 

 follicles of the intestines, and they do not demand special consideration in 

 this connection. 



.Gastric Juice. The observations of Beaumont upon Alexis St. Martin, 

 the Canadian who had a large fistulous opening into the stomach, gave the 

 first definite knowledge of the most important of the physiological properties 

 of the gastric juice. St. Martin, .the subject of these observations, received a 

 gunshot wound in the left side, at the age of eighteen years, being at the time 

 of good constitution and in perfect health. He slowly recovered from the 

 injury, and after three years, having regained his health, was made the sub- 

 ject of a great number and variety of experiments. Although the general 

 health had been restored, there remained a perforation into the stomach, 

 irregularly circular in form and nearly an inch (2-5 centimetres) in diameter. 



This opening was closed 

 by a protrusion of the 

 mucous membrane in the 

 form of a valve, which 

 could readily be de- 

 pressed by the finger so 

 as to expose the interior 

 of the stomach. 



From May, 1825, un- 

 til August of the same 

 year, St. Martin was un- 

 der the observation of 

 Beaumont. At the end 

 of that time he was lost 

 sight of for four years. 

 He then came again un- 

 der the observation of 

 Beaumont and continued 



opening into the stomach ; c, left nipple ; . . . ... 



D, chest ; E, cicatrices from the wound made for the removal of in hlS SCl'VlCe, doing the 

 a piece of cartilage ; F, F, F, cicatrices of the original wound. , _ . ., 



work oi a servant, until 



March, 1831. After this he was under observation from time to time until 

 1836, always enjoying perfect health, with good digestion. The last pub- 

 lished observations made upon this case were in 1856. 



The following was the method employed by Beaumont in extracting the 



FIG. 63. Gastric fistula in the case of St. Martin (Beaumont). 

 A, A, B, borders of the opening into the stomach ; c, left nipple 



