DIGESTION VISIBLE TO THE EVE. 
383 
the Hudson’s Bay Fur Company, remained there four years, and 
was then engaged at a great expense by Dr. Beaumont to come 
and reside near him on the Mississippi, for the purpose of en- 
abling him to complete his investigations. He came accordingly 
in August 1829, and remained till March 1831. He then went 
a second time to Canada, but returned to Dr. Beaumont in No- 
vember 1832, when the experiments were once more resumd, 
and continued till March 1833, at which time he finally left Dr. 
Beaumont. He now enjoys perfect health, but the orifice made 
by the wound remains in the same state as in 1824. 
“ Dr. Beaumont describes the aperture in St. Martin’s stomach 
as being situated about three inches to the left of the cardia, 
near the left superior termination of the great curvature. When 
the stomach was nearly empty, he was able to examine its cavi- 
ty to the depth of five or six inches by artificial distention. 
When it was entirely empty, the stomach was always contracted 
on itself, and the valve generally forced through the orifice, to- 
gether with a portion of the mucous membrane equal in bulk to 
a hen’s egg. After sleeping for a few hours on the left side, the 
protruded portion became so much larger, as to spread ‘ over the 
neighbouring integuments five or six inches in circumference, 
fairly exhibiting the natural ruga, villous membrane, and mu- 
cous coat, lining the gastric cavity. This appearance is almost 
invariably exhibited in the morning before rising from bed.’ 
Such was the very favourable subject on whom Dr. Beaumont’s 
observations and experiments were made, and such were the nu- 
merous opportunities which he enjoyed for repeating them, and 
verifying their accuracy. Having given this outline, we now 
return to the consideration of the gastric juice, on the origin 
and qualities of which it throws much light. 
“ The first disputed point which is conclusively settled by Dr. 
Beaumont is, that the gastric juice does not continue to be secret- 
ed between the intervals of digestion, and does not accumulate to 
be ready for acting upon the next meal. By inducing St. Mar- 
tin to fast for some hours, and then placing him with the open- 
ing in the left side exposed to a strong light, so as to give a dis- 
tinct view of the cavity of the stomach, Dr. Beaumont found its 
only contents to consist of a little viscid and occasionally slightly 
acidulated mucus mixed with saliva ; and in no instance did he 
perceive any accumulation of the proper gastric juice. The 
same results had indeed been obtained by Tiedemann and other 
physiologists before the publication of Dr. Beaumont’s memoir; 
but the evidence of the latter is so much more direct and incon- 
trovertible, that it may justly be regarded as setting the question 
for ever at rest. 
