EXAMINATION OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 35 



digested from their surface, and are reduced as the lime-salts are 

 acted upon and dissolved. Fat meat is harder to digest than lean; 

 fat undergoes no change in the stomach, but passes on and is 

 digested in the intestines. It has never been satisfactorily settled 

 whether raw or cooked meat is easiest to digest. 



The Digestion of Milk in the Stomach. Milk is compara- 

 tively slow in digestion. 



Action of Digestion on Hydrocarbonaceous Pood. Five 

 hours after a meal consisting of rice and potatoes the mass was 

 liquefied and softened; the mashed portion of the potatoes had 

 disappeared, but the lumps remained. After a meal of rice the 

 following observations were made: After one hour 10 per cent, 

 was digested; after two hours, 25 per cent.; after three hours, 50 

 per cent.; after four hours, 82 per cent.; after six hours, 90 per 

 cent. ; after eight hours, 99 per cent. ; and at the end of ten hours 

 it had entirely disappeared (V. Hofmeister). Both Ellenberger 

 and Hofmeister have come to the conclusion that rice is chiefly 

 digested in the intestines, as there is so much muriatic (hydro- 

 chloric) acid in the stomach immediately after eating that saccha- 

 ration cannot take place; and also that the dog swallows his food 

 with so little mastication that the saliva has not time to make any 

 change in the starch. 



The Effect of the Disturbance of Gastric Secretion on 

 Digestion. When from any cause the secretion of gastric juice 

 is lessened or altered the following changes are observed: The 

 digestion of albumin, the antiseptic and antizymotic action of the 

 gastric juice is much lessened, caused by the secretion being much 

 less acid, and with the lessened digestion of albumin fermenta- 

 tion is easily started. When the gastric secretion is subacid it irri- 

 tates the mucous membranes and lessens the peristaltic action. 

 Subacidity is frequently seen in all ansemic diseases, in fevers, in ero- 

 sion of the mucous membranes, from the effects of corrosive poisons 

 in cancer of the stomach, and in chronic catarrh of that organ. 



The digestion of starch is impaired by an over-secretion of muri- 

 atic acid; this condition, according to the researches of Ellenber- 

 ger and Hofmeister, is not of great importance, although in man 

 it is frequently seen in ulceration and in acute and chronic catarrh 

 of the stomach. " Nervous dyspepsia," so common in man, does 

 not seem to occur in the dog. 



