of tJie Stomach. 249 



quantities, and of a very deeiD green colour. The colour 

 w'as of about the same intenseness, as the leaves of the 

 liemlock tree, and was owing as I suppose, wholly to 

 acidit}'. The mucus was so extremely acid as to excite 

 great distress, whether it remained in the stomach, or 

 passed the fauces by vomiting. It occasioned, repeated- 

 ly, severe spasms, and could not be materially checked, 

 by such measures as v/ere made use of, under twenty- 

 four hours m.ore. About that time the disorder ceased, the 

 irritated organ became composed, and she soon regained 

 her usual health. This parox^^sm was occasioned as I 

 suppose, b}'- the debilitating effects of extremely hot 

 weather, and some irregularities of diet and exercise, op- 

 erating upon a system universally predisposed to disor- 

 der, and upon a stomach intensely irritable, always pre- 

 pared to engender acid, and to sj^mpathize with every 

 iiiorbid affection of the body or mind. Could the phe- 

 nomena here recited, have been occasioned by a fermen- 

 tation of the alimentary matter ? Should the answer be 

 given in the affirmative, I would ask what there was in 

 her stomach, to undergo the process, besides mucus, and 

 the gastric liquor ? Should I in my tinii be asked, how 

 such an enormous secretion, of so depraved a fluid, can 

 take place from the vessels of the stomach, I answer, that 

 from some cause or other, which man perhaps cannot 

 explain, a determination of the fluids of the body is in- 

 duced towards, or in, its secreting vessels, so that in the 

 case specified, the quantity secreted was ten, perhaps 

 twenty times as great, as in an equal space of time, in 

 health ; and the secreting vessels, in consequence of be- 

 ing surcharged with fluids, were thrown suddenly into a 

 state of violent morbid excitement. 



Phenomena in many respects similar to this, occur 

 daily, in the production of diarrhea, and dysentery. I 

 will illustrate m}^ meaning, by a brief recital of the fol- 

 lowing case. A gentleman some years ago, having oc- 

 casion to perform a short journey, left home in the eve- 

 ning, and rode a considerable distance in an open car- 

 riage. The day had been very hot, and being in high 

 health, he had not provided that additional clothing which 



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