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Experiments and Observations On the Gastri
General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1838 Original Publisher: MacLachland
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
William Beaumont
40 books1 followerA gunshot wound resulted in a permanent opening into stomach of a man on whom William Beaumont, noted American surgeon, experimented to perform his research on digestion.
Following events, people knew William Beaumont in the Army of United States as the "father of gastric physiology."
Lucretia Beaumont in Lebanon, Connecticut, bore William Beaumont to Samuel Beaumont. In 1811, William trained through an apprenticeship with Truman Powell, doctor in Vermont. From 1812, Beaumont served as a mate in the Army during the war until 1815. After the war ended, he started a private practice in Plattsburgh, New York, but rejoined the Army before 1819. People assigned a location at Fort Mackinac.
After the beginning of the war of the American Revolution, Zephaniah Platt founded Plattsburgh; Nathaniel Platt, his nephew, divorced Deborah Green Platt. William Beaumont took a leave in 1821, married her in Plattsburgh, and afterward returned to his post.
From close range, on 6 June 1822, a discharge, loaded with a buckshot, accidentally injured ribs of an employee, named Alexis Martin, of the fur company on Mackinac Island. From these injuries, William Beaumont, doctor, treated Martin but expected him to die. Despite this dire prediction, Martin survived with a hole or fistula that never fully healed. He lacked ability to continue work for the fur company, so Beaumont hired him as a handyman.
People relocated William Beaumont to Fort Niagara in New York, and Alexis Martin came before August 1825. Beaumont recognized the unique opportunity to observe processes in Martin. Beaumont began to use him. He tied a piece of food to a string, inserted it through the hole into Martin, and so conducted most observations. Every few hours, Beaumont removed the food and observed well. From Martin, Beaumont also extracted a sample of gastric acid for analysis. In September, Alexis Martin moved to Canada and left Beaumont to concentrate on his duties in the Army. Out Martin, Beaumont also used samples of acid to bits of food in cups. The acid, and not solely the mashing, pounding and squeezing, reduces the food into usable nutrients; this mixture led to the important discovery of a primarily chemical and not mechanical process in other words.
William Beaumont published the account in 1833, as Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice, and the Physiology of Digestion .
Ice covered steps on which Beaumont slipped in 1853 and died. People buried his body at cemetery of Bellefontaine.
School of medicine at Washington University holds papers of William Beaumont with copies at the national library.
Following events, people knew William Beaumont in the Army of United States as the "father of gastric physiology."
Lucretia Beaumont in Lebanon, Connecticut, bore William Beaumont to Samuel Beaumont. In 1811, William trained through an apprenticeship with Truman Powell, doctor in Vermont. From 1812, Beaumont served as a mate in the Army during the war until 1815. After the war ended, he started a private practice in Plattsburgh, New York, but rejoined the Army before 1819. People assigned a location at Fort Mackinac.
After the beginning of the war of the American Revolution, Zephaniah Platt founded Plattsburgh; Nathaniel Platt, his nephew, divorced Deborah Green Platt. William Beaumont took a leave in 1821, married her in Plattsburgh, and afterward returned to his post.
From close range, on 6 June 1822, a discharge, loaded with a buckshot, accidentally injured ribs of an employee, named Alexis Martin, of the fur company on Mackinac Island. From these injuries, William Beaumont, doctor, treated Martin but expected him to die. Despite this dire prediction, Martin survived with a hole or fistula that never fully healed. He lacked ability to continue work for the fur company, so Beaumont hired him as a handyman.
People relocated William Beaumont to Fort Niagara in New York, and Alexis Martin came before August 1825. Beaumont recognized the unique opportunity to observe processes in Martin. Beaumont began to use him. He tied a piece of food to a string, inserted it through the hole into Martin, and so conducted most observations. Every few hours, Beaumont removed the food and observed well. From Martin, Beaumont also extracted a sample of gastric acid for analysis. In September, Alexis Martin moved to Canada and left Beaumont to concentrate on his duties in the Army. Out Martin, Beaumont also used samples of acid to bits of food in cups. The acid, and not solely the mashing, pounding and squeezing, reduces the food into usable nutrients; this mixture led to the important discovery of a primarily chemical and not mechanical process in other words.
William Beaumont published the account in 1833, as Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice, and the Physiology of Digestion .
Ice covered steps on which Beaumont slipped in 1853 and died. People buried his body at cemetery of Bellefontaine.
School of medicine at Washington University holds papers of William Beaumont with copies at the national library.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 30, 2024
THE RESULTS OF A REMARKABLE INVESTIGATION INTO THE OPERATIONS OF THE STOMACH
William Beaumont (1785-1853) was a surgeon in the U.S. Army who became known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology" following his research on human digestion. He wrote in the Preface to this 1833 book, “I had opportunities for the examination of the interior of the stomach, and its secretions, which has never before been so fully offered to any one. This most important organ, its secretions and its operations, have been submitted to my observation in a very extraordinary manner, in a state of perfect health, and for years in succession.
"I have availed myself of the opportunity afforded by a concurrence of circumstances which probably can never again occur, with a zeal and perseverance proceeding from motives which my conscience approves; and I now submit the result of my experiments to an enlightened public.” (Pg. 6) The “concurrence of circumstances” was an accidental shotgun blast creating a 2-1/2 inch hole in the stomach of a factory worker; Beaumont treated the unfortunate man, then hired him, and performed experiments such as tying a piece of food to a string and inserting it through the hole in the man’s stomach, then periodically removing it, to see how well it had been digested.
He notes, “That the introduction of narcotics into the stomach should destroy the appetite, proves only that they have the same effect on that organ that they have on other parts of the body; they paralyse the nerves, and render them incapable of being the media of communication to their common centre.” (Pg. 55)
He adds, “My impression is that the sensation of hunger is produced by a DISTENSION of the gastric vessels, or that apparatus, whether vascular or glandular, which secretes the gastric juice; and is believed to be the effect of repetition by this fluid… Appetite and hunger belong to the same class of sensations; they differ only in degree.” (Pg. 57-58)
He points out, “mastication is absolutely necessary to healthy digestion,” and “The gastric juice never appears to be accumulated in the cavity of the stomach while fasting; and is seldom, if ever, discharged from its proper secerning vessels, except when excited by the natural stimulus of ailment, mechanical irritation of tubes, or other excitants.” (Pg. 105)
Furthermore, “Exercise, it seems, promotes the discharge of the gastric juice, as well as digestion in the stomach.” (Pg. 209) He summarizes, “that the QUANTITY of food generally taken, is more than the wants of the system require; and that such excess, if persevered in, generally produces, not only functional aberration, but disease of the coats of the stomach… BULK, as well as NUTRIMENT, is necessary to the articles of diet.” (Pg. 275)
He also suggests, “The Author of Nature is perfect in all His works; and although we may not understand all the operations of His hands, we are compelled to acknowledge their wisdom, propriety and beauty. Man would be miserable and wretched indeed if he depended solely upon his own discretions and judgment to decide upon the quantity and quality of ailment necessary to supply the wastes, and administer to the growth, of the system.” (Pg. 57)
This book will interest many students of the history of science and physiology.
William Beaumont (1785-1853) was a surgeon in the U.S. Army who became known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology" following his research on human digestion. He wrote in the Preface to this 1833 book, “I had opportunities for the examination of the interior of the stomach, and its secretions, which has never before been so fully offered to any one. This most important organ, its secretions and its operations, have been submitted to my observation in a very extraordinary manner, in a state of perfect health, and for years in succession.
"I have availed myself of the opportunity afforded by a concurrence of circumstances which probably can never again occur, with a zeal and perseverance proceeding from motives which my conscience approves; and I now submit the result of my experiments to an enlightened public.” (Pg. 6) The “concurrence of circumstances” was an accidental shotgun blast creating a 2-1/2 inch hole in the stomach of a factory worker; Beaumont treated the unfortunate man, then hired him, and performed experiments such as tying a piece of food to a string and inserting it through the hole in the man’s stomach, then periodically removing it, to see how well it had been digested.
He notes, “That the introduction of narcotics into the stomach should destroy the appetite, proves only that they have the same effect on that organ that they have on other parts of the body; they paralyse the nerves, and render them incapable of being the media of communication to their common centre.” (Pg. 55)
He adds, “My impression is that the sensation of hunger is produced by a DISTENSION of the gastric vessels, or that apparatus, whether vascular or glandular, which secretes the gastric juice; and is believed to be the effect of repetition by this fluid… Appetite and hunger belong to the same class of sensations; they differ only in degree.” (Pg. 57-58)
He points out, “mastication is absolutely necessary to healthy digestion,” and “The gastric juice never appears to be accumulated in the cavity of the stomach while fasting; and is seldom, if ever, discharged from its proper secerning vessels, except when excited by the natural stimulus of ailment, mechanical irritation of tubes, or other excitants.” (Pg. 105)
Furthermore, “Exercise, it seems, promotes the discharge of the gastric juice, as well as digestion in the stomach.” (Pg. 209) He summarizes, “that the QUANTITY of food generally taken, is more than the wants of the system require; and that such excess, if persevered in, generally produces, not only functional aberration, but disease of the coats of the stomach… BULK, as well as NUTRIMENT, is necessary to the articles of diet.” (Pg. 275)
He also suggests, “The Author of Nature is perfect in all His works; and although we may not understand all the operations of His hands, we are compelled to acknowledge their wisdom, propriety and beauty. Man would be miserable and wretched indeed if he depended solely upon his own discretions and judgment to decide upon the quantity and quality of ailment necessary to supply the wastes, and administer to the growth, of the system.” (Pg. 57)
This book will interest many students of the history of science and physiology.
December 1, 2023
I went into this book knowing the general history behind it. It’s fascinating what concepts which are common knowledge now were revelations to Beaumont, and what he got totally wrong. Medical ethics has changed so drastically in the past 100 years. Reading Dr. Osler’s introduction perfectly highlights this. Things that Osler praises about Beaumont would be called into question today, and unsurprisingly, no consideration is given to St. Martin’s perspective. The experiments get very repetitive and tend to drone on.
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