THROUGH ST. MARTIN'S WINDOW.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 22, 27 February 1891, Page 31

THROUGH ST. MARTIN'S WINDOW.

Alexis St. Martin was a Canadian trapper. Many year 9 ago, while out hunting, he received a gunshot wound in his abdomen. This finally healed in such a strange way as to leave an opening into the stomach, with a thin skin over v as clear aa a pane of glass. Nothing so remarkable had ever happened before. Through this window, by the aid of a strong light thrown into it, the doctors could see what went ou inside his stomach. S> the poor trapper's bad luck proved to be good luck for tbe rest of mankind. Now let us 6ee how we can avail ourselves of the knowledge thua obtainei. Tbereia a postman by the nama of Frederick Green, woo lives at 33, Martin's Road, Snortlands, Seat. Speaking of aa occasion about two years ago, he lately siid : " I couldn't eat meat without experiencing great pain." What ailed Mr. Green 1 Whentha doctors lookel into St. Martin's stomach just afcer he had eaten a meal, they observed that a liquid of a light yellow colour, was thrown in great quantities from the lining of the stomach in among the food. Then they noticed that the whole mass began to turn round and round as milk does in a revolving churn. When this process was over, in an hour or two, there was nothing to be seen except a gray fluid which looked liked broth or soup. The doctors also took note of the fact that when St. Martin ate much meat the stomach required a longer time and seemed to labour harder to turn it into the broth-like (fluid. Then again there were times when the light yellow liquid hardly came forth at all, the stomach moved, or churned, slowly, and the food lay in St. Martin's body until it became rancid, putrid, and soar. At such times he complained of feeling ill and sick and suffering much pain . If not soon relieved his skin turned a copperish hue, a nauseating acid arose into his mouth, his head ached and grew hot, he had sharp pains in different parts of bis body, the kidney secretion was thick and high coloured, he slept badly, couldn't work, and was low spirited, restless, and uneasy. What he suffered from, was indigestion, which, long enough continued, becomes chronic dyspepsia and nervous prostration. Now let ua see how it fared with our friend Mr. Green, the postman. He goes on to say : " When I drew my breath it was like a knife running through my chest. My appetite was bid, and I fell away to nothing. As I have to walk twenty miles a day in the discharge of my duties, I found the work in my weak state was killing me by inches. Before I was taken ill I was a strong, healthy man, and did my work with ease and pleasure. Finally I had to go on the sick list, and was attended by a physician for a fortnight, but I felt none the better. Taere was a load on my chest, and when I ate anything the food lay on my stomach like a ton of lead. " One day my wife said to me : ' Frederick, my mother used to suffer the way you do, and she always found relief by taking Mother Siegel's Curative Syrup. Why don't you try it? ' After some persuasion 1 gave up doctoring and got a bottle of ' Ssigel's ' and began. The first few doses made ma feel better. I stuck to Mother Seigel's Curative Syrup, aad in a few weeks I got strong and went back to my work, i have never ailed anything since, and for my recovery I have to thank God <*nd Mother Seigel's Curative Syrup." Mr. Greea has been postman in the Shortlands district for fifteen years, and bears an excellent character. If there had been a window in his stomach, bit physician ani friends mit?ht have observed the same trouble that occasionally appeared in the case of St. Martin.