76 THE LAWS OF ORGANIC 



ed that this organ is only slightly active in there- 

 jection of its contents. If this act were accom- 

 plished by the stomach itself, we might then con- 

 sider it probable that its muscular fibres, by repeat- 

 ed and excessive action, were debilitated, thereby 

 allowing of easy enlargement. The intestines 

 do not become distended in consequence of co_ 

 pious evacuations, but have their capacity very 

 much augmented by accumulated faeces or a col- 

 lection of air. The bladder, if ever found in a simi- 

 lar condition, has not become so from the approxi- 

 mation of its parietes from a pressure from with- 

 out, which occurs in vomiting, owing to the action 

 of the abdominal muscles, but from the influence 

 of a distending force from within. The cause 

 of this phenomenon is to be ascribed to the 

 disengagement of aeriform fluids, which gen- 

 erally happens when digestion is imperfect, 

 or when it is almost destroyed. The food 

 which the stomach receives is not acted upon in 

 the ordinary way, but the action of the gastric 

 juice in the organ is sufficiently powerful to make 

 an attempt at decomposition ; and this imperfect 

 action is attended by an evolution of aeriform 

 fluids. From the developement of this view, it 

 is clear that the stomach, like the bladder and in- 

 testines, is distended from a power exercising a 

 pressure from within, outwards, not from efforts 

 of vomiting, which are accompanied by opposite 

 physical circumstances. 



