When Dr Beaumont depressed the valve in St Martin’s stomach, and introduced a few spoonfuls of soup at the orifice, he observed the rugæ or folds of the mucous membrane to close gently upon it, gradually diffusing it through the gastric cavity, and completely preventing the entrance of a second quantity till this diffusion was effected--when relaxation again took place, and admitted of a farther supply. When solid food was introduced in the same way, either in larger pieces or finely divided, the same gentle contraction and grasping motion were excited, and continued from fifty to eighty seconds, so as to prevent more from being introduced without considerable force till the contraction was at an end. When St Martin was so placed as to admit of the cardia or upper orifice of the stomach being brought into view, and was then made to swallow a morsel of food in the natural way, a similar contraction of the stomach, and closing of its fibres upon the bolus, was invariably observed to take place; and till this was over, a second morsel could not be received without a considerable effort. And accordingly, when, either from haste or hunger, we disregard the order of Nature, and hurriedly gulp down food without due mastication, and without allowing time for the regular contraction of the stomach, we necessarily expose ourselves to the risk both of overloading it, and of ultimately impairing its digestive power. Such being the provision made for insuring the gradual admission of food into the stomach, the next requisite is _its proper admixture with the gastric juice_.