THE STORY OF DIGESTION 43 



by the minerals and likewise it may be by the water 

 represented in the secretion. The cubic capacity of 

 the adult human stomach is about five pints and a 

 very considerable amount of gastric juice is elabor- 

 ated and secreted in the course of a single day's 

 digestive work. It is interesting to note that the 

 first accurate analysis of gastric juice was obtained 

 from the case of Alexis St. Martin, a Canadian 

 trapper, who early in the nineteenth century suffered 

 from a gunshot wound which penetrated his side. 

 This wound healed somewhat too perfectly in the 

 sense that a flap was left in the man's side, and by 

 lifting this flap the interior of the man's stomach 

 could be inspected. His medical attendant, Dr. 

 Beaumont, recognised that this was an exceptional 

 opportunity for investigating the process of diges- 

 tion. He accordingly obtained samples of gastric 

 juice for analysis and likewise made many experi- 

 ments with the view of ascertaining the times 

 occupied in the digestion of various foods. Cases 

 of analogous nature have since occurred, and have 

 thrown much light on the work of the stomach in 

 digestion. It may be briefly said that vegetable 

 foods are found to require a longer time for diges- 

 tion than purely animal diet ; whilst of animal foods, 

 fish, tripe, and fowl appear to be more readily 

 digested than meat; and amongst meats, mutton 

 seems to be more easy of digestion than beef and 

 pork. 



THE STOMACH'S WORK. Before food enters the 

 stomach its lining membrane is of a pale pink hue. 

 On the entrance of food a rush of blood takes place 

 to the walls of the stomach in order to supply the 

 raw material out of which the gastric glands may 

 elaborate and manufacture gastric juice. Accord- 



