234 INFECTIOUS AND PARASITIC DISEASES. 



vomit. The writer was once sent the red vomit of a 

 pregnant woman for examination, haemorrhage being 

 suspected. The red color was due to nothing more 

 serious than ripe tomatoes which anyone might have 

 seen had they looked well. 



The normal odor of the gastric contents 

 Odor. is acid. In disease, it may be "beefy" 



from the presence of blood ; putrid in can- 

 cer or dilation; ammoniacal in uraemia. In stercora- 

 ceous vomiting it has the characteristic odor of the 

 stools. 



Measure or gauge as accurately as pos- 

 QuANTiTY. sible the quantity vomited. The normal 



stomach has a capacity of three pints, an 

 amount which may be increased in dilatation to three 

 or more quarts. The quantity vomited also furnishes 

 important information as to the absorptive and diges- 

 tive powers of the stomach, especially when considered 

 in connection with the amount and kind of food in- 

 gested. To obtain the latter data, physicians are in the 

 habit of giving a measured quantity of food (test-meal), 

 and within an hour withdrawing it with a stomach- 

 tube for examination. 



Test-meals are given either in the morning 

 Test-meals, or at noon, and, depending upon the time 



given, are called respectively test- breakfast 

 or test-dinner. The most common test-meal is the 

 breakfast. Two breakfast formulae are in common use. 



