Intestacy

“ At a short distance below the junction of this gland with the stomach, the intestine contracts, and twists upon itself. There is no true pyloric valve, but this turn in the intestine to all intents and purposes acts as one. The intestine next proceeds towards the liver. This organ is large, its upper surface concave, its lower convex; it is divided by the suspensory ligament, which attaches it to the walls of the abdomen, into two lobes; in the adult male it is of a dark brownish colour, mottled; it overlaps the stomach and portions of the small intestine. ”

“ By means of the intestinal canal food or substances necessary to provide the energy which the living tissue transforms are introduced. This food is liquefied and so altered by the action of the various fluids formed in the glands of the intestine and poured out on the surface, that it can pass into the interior of the body and become available for the living cells. Various food residues representing either excess of material or material incapable of digestion remain in the intestine, and after undergoing various changes, putrefactive in character, pass from the anus as feces. ”

“ Four or five of these folds enter into the intestine, and here, for about a quarter of an inch, they become but very slightly elevated; as they approach that peculiar semiflexion in the intestine referred to above, they increase in number, and also in depth (Fig. 4) , and, from their very close and compact appearance, I am led to suspect that this portion of the intestine, between the pyloric orifice of the true stomach and the orifice of the biliary ducts, is more than an ordinary duodenum, and acts somewhat as a secondary stomachal cavity. ”

“ Vickers, given above, rarely does any creature ever begin to have consumption with a sound stomach, liver, and intestines. Nor can the digestive organs become diseased, ordinarily, so long as the diet and general regimen are even approximately correct. If we thought more of what would “tickle” the stomach and intestines than the palate, simply, we would banish most of our disorders; pure air, active exercise, a clear conscience, and the cultivation of a spirit of cheerfulness, kindliness, and contentment, would send the balance a-flying. ”

“ SYMPTOMS.—Foreign substances introduced into the stomach do not always immediately give rise to serious symptoms. It is wonderful sometimes to see how tolerant the stomach is of their presence. Many instances are recorded of foreign bodies remaining in the stomach for months without producing dangerous symptoms. The mass may be discharged by vomiting, or it may escape through the pyloric opening into the intestine, and ultimately be discharged through the rectum, or, lodging in the bowel, give rise to symptoms of inflammation and obstruction. ”

“ Before leaving this part of the subject we wish to call the attention of our readers to the fact that when the food enters the stomach and small intestines improperly masticated and insalivated—when the teeth and salivary glands have not been given a chance to do their work properly—digestion is interfered with and impeded and the digestive organs are overworked and are rendered unable to accomplish what is asked of them. ”

“ If any part of the digestive function is deficient, impaired health, or mental and physical inefficiency expressed in the form of indigestion, is the result. If [Pg 304] the bowel is at fault, constipation is the usual consequence. A perfectly healthy living machine must maintain a perfect digestion and regular bowel movements.
The Function of the Stomach is to mix and churn the food, and to add certain ingredients to the mixture so that before it is carried into the intestines it is (as far as it is the stomach's duty to render it) ready to be absorbed into the system. ”

“ All kinds of foodstuffs, at all hours, with seeds, stones, etc., are poked into its stomach, followed by constipating remedies to quiet inevitable troubles, or brisk purgatives given with the hope of expelling the arrested contents of the bowels. Is it any wonder that ninety-eight persons of adult age out of every hundred suffer more or less from chronic inflammation and ulceration of anus, rectum, sigmoid flexure, colon, or appendix? ”

“ As this mass passes into and through the colon, being propelled by regular peristaltic waves, it acquires odor from the development of a substance which is a final product of the putrefaction of albumen.1 Gradually the more fluid elements are absorbed, and in the descending colon a less fluid or semi-solid consistence of the feces is reached. A healthy digestion and assimilation, with active and regular contractile movements of the muscular walls of the small and large intestines, are essential to normal defecation. ”

“ The small intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal in which digestion of the non-nitrogenous food substances takes place, and which affords the necessary area of mucous surface for the absorption of all digested matters. ”

“ HOW AUTO-INFECTION AFFECTS THE GASTRIC DIGESTION, AND VICE VERSA.
Frederick the Great said that all culture comes through the stomach. This saying emphasizes pithily the dependence of psychology upon physiology. The stomach with the intestines is certainly the source from which every portion of the body receives its nourishment and most of its diseases. The physiological plus and minus processes leave their reflex on the mind. ”

“ The chyme leaving the stomach, enters the small intestine, as we have described and comes in contact with the pancreatic and intestinal juices and with the bile, and intestinal digestion ensues. These fluids dissolve most of the food that has not already been softened. ”

“ The integrity of the functions of the intestines is of supreme importance, for it is here that absorption and assimilation of most 183of our food occurs. If our intestines are not in perfect order we shall soon waste and dwindle away, even within a short period, and sometimes very rapidly. Thus if we wish to retain our strength we must treat the intestine with the greatest care. This is especially the case in old age, for then an atrophy of the glandular mechanism of the digestive tract, stomach, and intestines, takes place. ”

“ If too large a quantity of food is given at each meal, or the meals are too frequently repeated, in both instances the stomach will become oppressed, wearied, and deranged; part of the food, perhaps, thrown up by vomiting, whilst the remainder, not having undergone the digestive process, will pass on into the bowels, irritate its delicate lining membrane, and produce flatulence, with griping, purging, and perhaps convulsions. ”

“ The retention of fluids, transuded serum, bile, intestinal juices, and partly-altered food is hurtful. Decomposition sets in and gas is developed, which by distending the bowel causes great suffering and increases the inflammation. The movements of the intestine are not entirely under control; the patient must be fed; digestion and assimilation involve the activity of inflamed parts. The stomach can be made to do most of the work, but the sympathy of action is so close between the stomach and intestines that one cannot function without the other being excited into activity. ”

“ Avoid substances that would inflame the tissues or cause congestion of any organ of the body. If the tongue be coated avoid sugar, starchy foods and fresh milk.
CHAPTER XXXI.
COSTIVENESS, DIET, ETC.
Take anything in the way of food which the unconsciously starved person can eat without the stomach and intestines protesting too much; any of the foods recommended for constipation, indigestion, diarrhea; and take yet more food if by so doing there is a gain in flesh, after exercising much patience as to time. ”

“ The phenomenon of vicarious excretion may occur through the kidneys, lungs, skin, throat, nose, vagina, or uterus, thus keeping up chronic diseases and discharges that would not exist but for the chronic constipation or even for incomplete action of the bowels each day. Over-distention of the rectum, sigmoid and colon, due to the pressure of gases and the impaction of feces, results in inflammation, ulceration, stricture, appendicitis, abscess, strangulation, intussusception, and abnormal ballooning or roominess in certain portions of these intestines or conduits. ”

“ INTESTINES, in anatomy, are those hollow membranous tubes of the human body, commonly termed the guts or bowels, which extend from the right orifice of the stomach to the anus. They are six times longer than the whole body, and by Nature destined to receive the chyme, or the aliment, so called after it is converted into a kind of pulp, which they retain for a time ”

“ In consequence of debility, over-exertion, anxiety, or chronic inflammation of the stomach, there is not a proper secretion, in quantity or quality, of digestive solvents, and it matters not whether it be a deficiency of the fluids of the stomach, or of the intestines, or of the pancreas and liver, the result is indigestion. The question of what important agent is lacking, naturally presents itself to the physician. ”

“ After the small intestine is opened the enterotome is introduced through the ileocæcal opening and the large intestine cut in the anterior tænia as far as the rectum. The opening of the intestine within the body should be left until all the other abdominal organs have been examined, because of the disagreeable mess made by the escape of the intestinal contents into the cavity. ”

“ INTESTINAL COLIC. (Enteralgia) .—Causes.—Predisposing; poor general condition, worry, over-work, nervous disposition. Exciting causes; exposure, gas in the bowels, mass of feces, undigested or irritating food, cold drinks, green fruit, ice cream when a person is very warm.
Symptoms.—Intermittent pain usually in the umbilical (navel) region, moving from place to place, dull or sharp pain, relieved by pressure or bending forward. Abdomen is distended or drawn back. It lasts a few minutes or many hours, ending gradually or suddenly, after a passage of gas or movement of the bowels. ”

“ The nerves governing the absorptive and secretive functions of the stomach and intestines, irritated by the presence of a substance foreign and noxious to the digestive process, are stimulated into action and cause an augmented quantity of secretion to be poured forth, and the folds of the colon are filled with fluid fouled by dissolved fecal matter, which is partially absorbed ere evacuation can occur. ”

“ They weaken the digestion, by pushing down the stomach and the liver, and by compressing the latter, and thus induce indigestion, flatulence, and liver-disease. [Footnote: Several years ago, while prosecuting my anatomical studies in London University College Dissecting rooms, on opening a young women, I discovered an immense indentation of the liver large enough to admit a rolling pin, produced by tight lacing!] (5) They weaken the bowels, by impeding their proper peristaltic (spiral) motion, and thus might produce either constipation or a rupture. ”

“ The perpetual vomiting in ileus is caused in like manner by the defective excitement of the sensorial power of association by the bowel, which is torpid during the intervals of pain; and the stomach sympathizes with it. See Enteritis, Class II. 1. 2. 11. Does this symptom of vomiting indicate, whether the disease be above or below the valve of the colon? Does not the softer pulse in some kinds of enteritis depend on the sympathy of the heart and arteries with the sickness of the stomach? ”

“ A physician, who understands what he is about, knows very well, when a case of this nature comes before him, that it may proceed from a variety of causes; that it may arise in the stomach from a want of digestive power, from the small intestines by a partial failure in the process of chymification; that it may depend upon the morbid action of the large intestines, or exist merely [Pg 245] as a symptom of an affection in other organs. Sedentary habits, or irregularities of diet, are causes which may be supposed to act locally on the digestive organs themselves ”

“ But when the stomach is excited by food which it cannot dissolve, and when the owner of the stomach, disregarding its remonstrances, will persist in over-eating, or in eating things that disagree with the system, then the liver and the stomach sympathise, and the muscular threads, or hands, that prevail all through the alimentary organs, instead of moving onward, move backward, and throw some bile into the stomach to assist to dissolve and remove the excessive or improper food. ”

“ But when food contains no irritating substances and is easily assimilated without forming residues, or when the innervation by the vagus is sluggish and the peristaltic movements are slow, the contents of the intestines can remain longer, especially in the haustra of the intestines. It may be that the bowels move every day, but that does not prove that everything in the intestines has been expelled therefrom, for some amount of fæces can yet remain in the haustra of the intestine even for many days ”

“ Treatment of Constipation.—This should always be preventive, and the diet is a most important factor. The food should be of a coarse quality, that is, such as directly stimulates the walls of the intestine to contraction by their constitutents, or by the large amount of the indigestible bulk. ”

“ A third objection is that if you begin the use of the enema you will have to continue its use; you can't stop, and, lo and behold! the enema habit is formed—a new habit in addition to the many habits civilized man is already carrying; the constipated habit, the physic habit, the sand, bran, sawdust-food habit, the muscular peristaltic habit, etc.—and with all these habits the poor victim of proctitis and intestinal foulness wonders that he is alive. ”