THE DIGESTION OF FOOD 129 



use causes the coats of the stomach to become altered in 

 their structure. There is a chronic inflammation of the 

 inner coats, the walls of the stomach become thicker and 

 harder, and traces of ulceration are often found. Because 

 the stomach is thus inflamed and unable to digest food 

 properly from the habitual use of strong drink, many other 

 important organs of the body suffer as a result. 1 



183. The Case of Alexis St. Martin. The effect of alco- 

 holic liquors upon gastric digestion was studied many years 

 ago by Dr. Beaumont and others, in the case of Alexis 

 St. Martin, a French Canadian. This man met with a 

 gunshot wound which left a permanent opening into his 

 stomach, guarded by a little valve of mucous membrane, 

 Through this opening the lining of the stomach could be 

 seen, the temperature ascertained, and numerous experi- 

 ments made as to the digestibility of various kinds of food. 

 In this remarkable case it was observed by looking directly 

 into his stomach that when a wholesome dinner was digest- 

 ing in good order, a glass of gin arrested the process, which 

 was not continued until the alcohol had passed out of the 

 stomach. 



1 Nothing could be further removed from the truth than the popular 

 notion that alcohol, at least in the form of certain wines, is helpful to diges- 

 tion. Roberts showed, years ago, that alcohol, even in small doses, dimin- 

 ished the activity of the stomach in the digestion of proteids. Gluzinski 

 showed, ten years ago, that alcohol causes an arrest in the secretion of 

 pepsin, and also in its action upon food. Wolff showed that the habitual 

 use of alcohol produces disorder of the stomach to such a degree as to 

 render it incapable of responding to the normal excitation of food. 

 Blumenau says that alcohol manifests a decidedly unfavorable influence on 

 the course of normal digestion, even when taken in small quantities, and 

 injures the normal digestive functions. Hugounence found that all wines, 

 without exception, prevent the action of pepsin upon proteids. The most 

 harmful are those which contain large quantities of alcohol, cream of tartar, 

 or coloring matter. WINFIELD S. HALL, M.D., Professor of Physiology 

 in Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago. 



