DIGESTION 113 



watching the digestion of various foods introduced through the 

 opening, and of collecting gastric juice for purposes of analysis. 

 A similar condition has been established in animals by operative 

 means. The oesophagus having been cut, and the cut end 

 sutured to the margins of an aperture in the skin, food taken by 

 the mouth escaped by this opening instead of passing into 

 the stomach. A similar opening was made into the stomach 

 for the insertion of food, and for the purpose of studying the 

 effects of reflex stimulation of the gastric glands. As soon as 

 food was introduced into the mouth, gastric juice began to flow. 

 The advantage of this experimental method lies in the fact 

 that the juice secreted was a pure juice not mixed with food, 

 as in all the earlier experiments in which, the stomach being 

 opened without diversion of the oesophagus, the presence of 

 food within it was the stimulus which led to secretion. No 

 juice flowed in the absence of stimulation ; nor was the secre- 

 tion normal in composition when provoked by a mechanical 

 stimulus, such as the tickling of the gastric mucous membrane 

 by a feather. 



My lord the stomach ! He is not the only, nor is he the chief, 

 agent in digestion ; but with him rests the decision as to 

 whether the food offered to the alimentary tract is suitable 

 in quality and quantity. He is offended if it be not offered 

 with all the circumstance and ceremony which becomes his 

 rank. As an intimation that he is about to receive food, he 

 accepts the news from the mouth that its nerve-endings are 

 subject to mechanical stimulation. But the chewing of india- 

 rubber would produce a like effect. The stomach, therefore, 

 confers with the organs of taste and smell. If their report is 

 favourable, he argues that the substance which the teeth are 

 crushing will justify an outflow of gastric juice. He responds 

 most generously when prolonged mastication assures him that 

 he may trust to receiving the food in a sufficiently subdivided 

 state. At our peril we neglect to propitiate my lord. Not 

 always debonair when treated with consideration, he is 

 morose or petulant when slighted. Never content with lip- 

 service, he exacts the labour of teeth and tongue and palate. 

 The tribute we offer may be of the best savoury, wholesome, 

 well cooked, well chewed but if it be not tendered with some 

 degree of love, if thoughts are concentrated on other things, 



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