126 ANIMAL FLECTIONS. 



6. That stimulating condiments are injurious to the 

 healthy stomach. 



7. That the continued use of ardent spirits always pro- 

 duces disease of the stomach. 



8. That hunger is the effect of distension of the vessels 

 that secrete the gastric juice. 



9. That the temperature of the stomach is one hundred 

 degrees of Fahrenheit 



10. That the action of the gastric juice dissolves the 

 food, and alters its properties. 



11. That the gastric liquor coagulates albumen, and af- 

 terward dissolves the coagula. 



12. That the gastric juice is a clear and transparent 

 fluid, a little salt, and perceptibly acid to the taste. When 

 pure, it suffers no change by keeping. Dr. Beaumont hav- 

 ing kept a quantity in a vial for eleven months without 

 any perceptible change. 



13. That gentle exercise facilitates the digestion of the 

 food. 



14. That ivater, ardent spirits, and most other fluids, 

 are not affected by the gastric juice, but disappear from 

 the stomach soon after they are received. 



375. It may be noticed that there is some discrepancy 

 between Dr. Beaumont's results, and those of Sir A. Coop- 

 er, especially with respect to the digestion of pork and 

 beef. But since the former -experimenter had the best op- 

 portunity ever afforded to arrive at true results, while those 

 of the latter were chiefly made on dogs, there can be no 

 doubt which is the most deserving of confidence. 



376. The facts above stated are so plain as to allow any 

 one to draw his own inferences, and we therefore leave 

 this subject to the reader, which has already been carried 

 to an extent much beyond what was originally intended 



