218 STOMACH DIGESTION. 



bowl of broth ; at 1 P.M., half a broiled chicken with toast, and 

 stewed strawberries ; at 5 P.M., half a broiled chicken, two slices 

 of toast, and a cup of tea. During that week she gained six 

 pounds. 



In concluding the history of this case Dr. Brigham writes : 



" In the treatment of this case no attempt has been made to 

 predigest the nourishment which was given to the patient. The 

 precaution was taken, however, to supply easily digested food ; 

 and when meat was allowed it was cut in very small pieces. The 

 food was taken slowly, whether liquid or solid. It is no hardship 

 for the patient to live on simple food, for she has done so all her 

 life ; and especially, as age has advanced, has been obliged to eat 

 food that required the least chewing. The food was given of 

 medium temperature; water was taken as it came from the pipe 

 and wine as it stood in the room ; iced cream, of which the patient 

 was particularly fond, was taken slowly so that it dissolved in the 

 mouth before it was swallowed. At first everything was too salt ; 

 as the patient got well she wished salt on both eggs and oysters. 

 The amount of flatus in the bowels was enough to cause pain only 

 a few times in the early part of her illness. The urine has been 

 normal throughout. Never since the operation has any undigested 

 food been seen in the movements from the bowels, and for the 

 most part these have been wholly or partly formed. The patient 

 has vomited but a few times since the operation ; twice after etheri- 

 zations, twice after some laxative had been given, once after the 

 button left its place, and twice after coughing not more than six 

 ounces at any one time, generally much less. On three or four 

 occasions a mouthful of food would be regurgitated an oyster, 

 some shreds of meat, or a few teaspoonfuls of coffee. As a usual 

 thing the food was well retained and well digested/ 7 



On January 1, 1900, Dr. Brigham wrote to the author: "I 

 am very glad to say that Mrs. M. is in excellent health, with no 

 sign whatever of a return of the disease. On seeing her no one 

 would ever believe that she had undergone any surgical operation, 

 much less the removal of the entire stomach. She returned home 

 seven weeks after the operation ; then she took five meals a day, 

 consisting mainly of soups, oysters, eggs, milk-toast, baked 

 apples, stewed prunes, iced cream, and strawberries. Little by 

 little she chose what she liked potatoes, peas, beans, lamb-chops, 

 chicken, and fish. 



" I have always allowed her to choose her food, thinking that 

 the success of the operation would be the better demonstrated. 



" For nearly a year she has kept house for herself, doing all 

 her own work ; finding ample time to visit her grandchildren, 

 who live near by. She is now in her sixty-eighth year, and affirms 

 that if she takes castor oil every ten days her health is perfect. 



" As to her weight, after the first year she weighed one hun- 



