Food and its Digestion. 



251 



Dr. Beaumont was enabled to make his examinations, and 

 perform his interesting and valuable series of experiments. 

 Introducing the various kinds of food through this aperture 

 into the stomach, and then watching the result of the 

 digestive process, he ascertained many valuable facts; for 

 example, in the digestion of vegetables, for rice boiled, 

 only one hour was required, whilst for boiled cabbage it 

 took four and a half hours to complete its digestion. 



For Venison steak, broiled, 1 hour 35 rnin. 



" Pork, 5 hours 15 niin. 



" Eoast Beef, 3 hours. 



" Milk boiled, 2 hours. 



" Milk not boiled, 2 hours 15 min. 



" Chicken fricaseed, 2 hours 45 min. 



" Turkey roast, 2 hours 30 min. 



" Ducks " 4 hours. 



" Potatoes * boiled, 3 hours 30 min. 



" " roast, 2 hours 30 min. 



Bread, 3 hours 30 min. 



It is exceedingly interesting to compare the result of 

 these experiments performed by Dr. Beaumont upon 

 Alexis St. Martin, and observe how closely that result 

 coincides with the instinctive experience of mankind. 



The Indian and also the hunter has often been heard to 

 remark — without ever having had the opportunity of 

 looking into the stomach — that for the toil and hardship 



*The potato is the starchy tuber of a plant belonging to the poisonous 

 genus of the solanum. Perhaps there is no article of food which more 

 strongly claims the attention of the educated public, than does this 

 vegetable. Certainly there is none which better illustrates the intimate 

 casual relation between the food and the habits, the physical and the moral 

 state of nations. It was introduced into Europe from America, by Haw- 

 kins, 250 years ago. Throughout many parts of Europe the poorer classes 

 have for years been relying chiefly upon the potato for their nutrition. 



Cobbett long ago pointed out the danger of this procedure, because of the 

 insufficiency of this vegetable to replace the more nourishing articles of 

 food like wheat and corn. But it was not until the terrible climax of the 

 Irish famine, that the world became aroused to the danger of trusting to 

 the potato as a staple of food. The physiologist, knowing the composition 



