IMPLETION OF THE STOMACH.
This disease is of two kinds : the one from temporary satiety, which is easily removed by emetics and purgatives; but which, from not being removed in due time, not 'infrequently produces stupor chiefly belongs to our present considera tion, from habitual abstinence, from ex ercise, accompanied with an habitual proclination of the body, as occurs in the trade of shoe-makers, or of tailors, or the occupation of writing clerks, or accomp tants, as well as of literary people in ge neral. Some years ago, from the pres sure of their stays, women were frequent sufferers in the same way : in the present fashion of their dress they are far less sub ject to it, though it occasionally happens to those who sit long stooping to needle work.
By this proclination of the body, the thoracic and abdominal viscera are undu ly compressed together for many hours in every day : the margin of the ribs is forced upwards, so as to drive the sto mach against the diaphragm, and to im pede the passage through the pylorus ; while all the adjoining organs, the blood vessels and excreting ducts, partake of the general injury from the compression, and hereby concur to excite affections of the lungs, or permanent disease in the large vessels near the heart, as well as more extensive and deeply seated mis chief in the stomach.
The symptoms indicating disease of the stomach from this cause are, nauseous taste in the mouth, with furred tongue, pain in the region of the pylorus, and sense of weight and the pain increased on pressure at the pit of the stomach : there is always costiveness ; from the want of free passage through the pylorus, the stomach becomes loaded with vis cous matter : the countenance is pale, wan, and sallow, and very shortly black ness appears under the eye-lids, and fre quently a jaundiced tint appears, from obstruction to the free secretion or pas sage of the bile, and all the common dys peptic symptoms occur.
It is obvious, in all these cases, when the occupation of the patient will allow of avoiding that posture, which is the sole cause of his malady, that this is all which is necessary to prevent its return : from the force of habit, however, directions to this effect are seldom sufficiently obeyed: where the case has been of long stand ing, or there have been frequent repeti tions of the attacks, and the lungs, liver, and other viscera, some or all of them be come affected, the treatment must be adapted to the state of those parts: riding on horseback daily will do much service ; and many a working tradesman, having lately entered into some corps of volun teers, has learned to carry his person bet ter, and been afterwards free from this complaint ;'Whilst, before he had the drill serjeant's assistance, it was difficult to make him stand erect at any time.
The overfilled stomach, which brings the patient into an apoplectic state, is a case which requires the instantaneous exhibition of the most powerful emetics. A strong solution of vitriolated zinc is the most proper medicine for this purpose ; it is preferable to any form of antimony, be cause the latter, even in a very large dose, will commonly have no emetic effect at all in the torpid state of the stomach, which is here the alarming symptom, but the patient will be thrown by it into a vio lent debilitating perspiration, and the time for relieving his stomach and saving his life will be lost for ever. As soon as the stomach is relieved, and the efforts to vomit have ceased, a large dose of some purgative medicine, and especially of the mercurial class, may be advantageously ex hibited: and the exhaustion of the power of the stomach must afterwards be at tempted to be recovered by a regimen of warm and acrid stimulants, especially horse-radish, mustard, garlic, and oMons ; with the occasional use, as well id -the former, as in the present consequence of the impletion, of gum pill with aloes, or a very small quantity of calomel.