Chapter IV

ORGANS OF DIGESTION--THE STOMACH--THE GASTRIC
JUICE.

Surprising power of digestion--Variety of sources of
food--All structures, however different, formed from the
same blood--General view of digestion, chymification,
chylification, sanguification, nutrition--The stomach in
polypes, in quadrupeds, and in man--Its position, size,
and complexity, in different animals--Its structure; its
peritoneal, muscular, and villous coats; and uses of
each--Its nerves and bloodvessels; their nature, origins,
and uses--The former the medium of communication between
the brain and stomach--Their relation to undigested
food--Animals not conscious of what goes on in the
stomach--Advantages of this arrangement--The gastric
juice the grand agent in digestion--Its origin and
nature--Singular case of gunshot wound making a permanent
opening into the stomach--Instructive experiments made by
Dr Beaumont--Important results, 58–108