Zoonomia; Or, the Laws of Organic Life, Vol. I

by Erasmus Darwin

[9]. At the times of these inverted efforts of the stomach not only the lymphatics, which open their mouths into the stomach, but those of the skin also, are for a time inverted; for sweats are sometimes pushed out during the efforts of vomiting without an increase of heat.

[10]. But if by a greater stimulus the motions of the stomach are inverted still more violently or more permanently, the duodenum has its peristaltic motions inverted at the same time by their association with those of the stomach; and the bile and pancreatic juice, which it contains, are by the inverted motions brought up into the stomach, and discharged along with its contents; while a greater quantity of bile and pancreatic juice is poured into this intestine; as the glands, that secrete them, are by their association with the motions of the intestine excited into stronger action than usual.

[11]. The other intestines are by association excited into more powerful action, while the lymphatics, that open their mouths into them, suffer an inversion of their motions corresponding with the lymphatics of the stomach, and duodenum; which with a part of the abundant secretion of bile is carried downwards, and contributes both to stimulate the bowels, and to increase the quantity of the evacuations. This inversion of the motion of the lymphatics appears from the quantity of chyle, which comes away by stools; which is otherwise absorbed as soon as produced, and by the immense quantity of thin fluid, which is evacuated along with it.

[12]. But if the stimulus, which inverts the stomach, be still more powerful, or more permanent, it sometimes happens, that the motions of the biliary glands, and of their excretory ducts, are at the same time inverted, and regurgitate their contained bile into the blood-vessels, as appears by the yellow colour of the skin, and of the urine; and it is probable the pancreatic secretion may suffer an inversion at the same time, though we have yet no mark by which this can be ascertained.

[13]. Mr. —— eat two putrid pigeons out of a cold pigeon-pye, and drank about a pint of beer and ale along with them, and immediately rode about five miles. He was then seized with vomiting, which was after a few periods succeeded by purging; these continued alternately for two hours; and the purging continued by intervals for six or eight hours longer. During this time he could not force himself to drink more than one pint in the whole; this great inability to drink was owing to the nausea, or inverted motions of the stomach, which the voluntary exertion of swallowing could seldom and with difficulty overcome; yet he discharged in the whole at least six quarts; whence came this quantity of liquid? First, the contents of the stomach were emitted, then of the duodenum, gall-bladder, and pancreas, by vomiting. After this the contents of the lower bowels, then the chyle, that was in the lacteal vessels, and in the receptacle of chyle, was regurgitated into the intestines by a retrograde motion of these vessels. And afterwards the mucus deposited in the cellular membrane, and on the surface of all the other membranes, seems to have been absorbed; and with the fluid absorbed from the air to have been carried up their respective lymphatic branches by the increased energy of their natural motions, and down the visceral lymphatics, or lacteals, by the inversion of their motions.

[14]. It may be difficult to invent experiments to demonstrate the truth of this inversion of some branches of the absorbent system, and increased absorption of others, but the analogy of these vessels to the intestinal canal, and the symptoms of many diseases, render this opinion more probable than many other received opinions of the animal œconomy.

In the above instance, after the yellow excrement was voided, the fluid ceased to have any smell, and appeared like curdled milk, and then a thinner fluid, and some mucus, were evacuated; did not these seem to partake of the chyle, of the mucous fluid from all the cells of the body, and lastly, of the atmospheric moisture? All these facts may be easily observed by any one, who takes a brisk purge.

[15]. Where the stimulus on the stomach, or on some other part of the intestinal canal, is still more permanent, not only the lacteal vessels, but the whole canal itself, becomes inverted from its associations: this is the iliac passion, in which all the fluids mentioned above are thrown up by the mouth. At this time the valve in the colon, from the inverted motions of that bowel, and the inverted action of this living valve, does not prevent the regurgitation of its contents.

The structure of this valve may be represented by a flexile leathern pipe standing up from the bottom of a vessel of water: its sides collapse by the pressure of the ambient fluid, as a small part of that fluid passes through it; but if it has a living power, and by its inverted action keeps itself open, it becomes like a rigid pipe, and will admit the whole liquid to pass. See Sect. [XXIX. 2. 5].

In this case the patient is averse to drink, from the constant inversion of the motions of the stomach, and yet many quarts are daily ejected from the stomach, which at length smell of excrement, and at last seem to be only a thin mucilaginous or aqueous liquor.