GASTRIC JUICE. 399 



time in a cellar, remained unaltered, except the formation of a 

 pellicle on the surface, slightly discoloured by red spots. A se- 

 cond pellicle appeared after the precipitation of the first. It was 

 thicker and more discoloured with dark-red spots, like venous 

 blood. 



" The fluid was cloudy, like a solution of gum-arabic ; but 

 when filtered, it became perfectly clear, and of a slight straw-yel- 

 low tinge. 



" The pellicles, which had the appearance of inspissated mu- 

 cus, after being separated from the fluid, became, after exposure 

 to the air, throughout of a brownish red colour, resembling the 

 inner portion of a mass of coagulated blood. This change seems 

 to result from a sudden exudation. 



" The fluid exhaled a slight odour, not disagreeable rather 

 aromatic, and very similar to that which it at first exhaled, but 

 not so strong. It was then rather disagreeable. 



" Taste feebly saline, not disagreeable. 



" Test papers of litmus, alkaline, and purple cabbage were de- 

 cidedly reddened. Turmeric paper underwent no change, but 

 when previously browned by ammonia, the gastric juice restored 

 the yellow colour. 



" Nitrate of silver gave a dense white precipitate, which, after 

 standing five minutes in the sun's light, turned to a dark brown- 

 ish-black, thus indicating muriatic acid. Muriate and nitrate of 

 barytes gave a slight opalescence, indicating a trace of sulphuric 

 acid. Probably there was also some phosphoric acid. 



" Specific gravity about 1-005." 



It was subjected to an imperfect chemical examination by Pro- 

 fessor Dunglison and Professor Einmit of Virginia College. 

 They found it to contain free muriatic and acetic acids, phosphates 

 and muriates, with bases of potash, soda, magnesia, and lime, and 

 an animal matter soluble in cold water, but insoluble in hot 



It was shown many years ago by Spallanzani, and his experi- 

 ments were confirmed by those previously made by Dr Stevens, 

 that the gastric juice acts as a solvent to the food, and that it is 

 capable of dissolving the food out of the stomach, in phials, pro- 

 vided the temperature be kept as high as 100, which is about 

 that of the human stomach during digestion. These conclusions 

 have been fully confirmed by Dr Beaumont, who not only wit- 

 nessed the solution of almost every kind of food in the stomach 



