Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/687

* STOMACH. 591 STONE. perforation, hemorrhage, or starvation; or, they gradually disappear and the patient recovers. The prognosis is only fair. About half of the cases recover, about 13 per cent, die of perfora- tions and peritonitis, about 20 per cent, die of tuberculosis, about .5 per cent, die of starvation, and about 5 per cent, die of hemorrhage. The treatment of ulcer includes rest, diet by mouth and by rectal eneniata, correction of acidity by proper alkalies, the administration of nitrate of silver or bismuth, and the proper management of the accidents: hemorrhage, peritonitis, and collapse. Erosions of the stomach consist really of small, superficial ulcers of the mucous lining. They occur commonly in chronic gastritis; often their cause is unassignable. The symptoms in- clude pain, a feeling of weakness, and emaciation. The emaciation is progressive to a certain point, during the earlier jiart of the attack, but after reaching a certain level the patient grows no thinner, and does not present a cachexia. The patient may suffer from erosions for many years. The treatment consists of the use of nitrate of silver, intra-gastric galvanization, diet, general hygiene and out-of-door exercise, condurango, nux vomica, and iron. Cancer of the stomach is more frequent than cancer of any other organ. It is apparently on the increase. Gastric cancer occurs more fre- quently at the age of fifty; it is rare before thirty. It is probably equally divided between the sexes. The tendency to cancer is possibly hereditary. It follows trauma and ulcers, and it is probably also due to primary infection with the suspected bacillus which bacteriologists hope to discover as the cause of cancer. The new growth may be an epithelioma, a medullary cai'cinoma, a scirrhus, or a colloid carcinoma. See TuiiOR. The general symptoms of cancer of the stomach are pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, hemorrhage, tumor, fever, constipation, and a decided cachexia. Examination of the blood reveals a leucocytosis in some cases during fasting, and an absence of the normal leucocytosis of diges- tion. Little can be argued from the urine, al- though in some cases the chlorides are diminished and indican is increased, and rarely pep- tonuria is present. Examination of the stomach contents after a test meal reveals decrease of the free hydrochloric acid as well as of tlie total acidity, and the presence of lactic acid. The prognosis is hopeless for cure. If the disease be of slow progress, the patient may gain relief enough from surgical interference to live along several years. When the neoplasm invades the pylorus, resection of this part of the stomach may be made; or excision, if in other parts of the organ. Among palliative operations are gas- trotomy and gastro-enterostomy. The former is suitalile in cases of cancer of the oesophagus or of the cardiac orifice, the latter in cases of pyloric stenosis. The medical treatment consists of diet, the iodides, condurango. methyl blue, chloral, and such analgesics as may be expedient. Of the 'functional' diseases, hi/perchlorhtidria is a condition in which the gastric juice pcssesses more acidity and ferments than it should. A test of the stomach contents decides the diagnosis, and the condition is met by hygiene, diet, al- kalies, bromides, and in .some cases opiates and electricity. Gastrosuccorrhcea is a periodical and con- tinuous production of the normal gastric juice, causing vomiting and intense pain, restlessness, nausea, and a feeling of pressure in the epigas- trium. Analysis of the contents of the stomach is the best diagnostic test. The treatment of tliis rare affection is largely by the use of atro- pine, nitrate of silver, galvanization, and lavage. Achylia gastrica is a condition in which there is a constant absence of gastric juice, accom- panied by atro]iliy of the stomach, and following severe catarrhal disease of that organ. The gas- trie contents decide the diagnosis. Lavage, fara- dization of the stomach, and attention to diet constitute the treatment. Isochijmia is a distressing condition in -which food is always found in the stomach, even when fasting. The stomach is dilated and the me- chanical insufficiency of the organ is so great as to fail of emptying the ehTOie into the intestines. Paresis of the gastric muscul.ar coat or contrac- tion of the pylorus is the cause of this condition. Indifferent appetite, thirst, dryness of the throat, oppression, pain, and eructation of gas, together with vomiting of chyme, are among the notable symptoms. Constipation is present and emacia- tion becomes pronoimced. Ulcer may be the cause of the pyloric stenosis. The course of the condition varies with the etiologv'. Lavage, diet, nitrate of silver, rectal alimentation, massage, and the administration of alkalies may all be of advantage, as also the galvanic current. See CAKni.vLGi.-v ; IxDiGESTiON ; .Sarcina. Consult Einhorn's Diseases of the Stomach (New York, 1903). STOMACH-PtnVIP. An instrument used to remove poisons from the stomach, to feed per- sons who cannot swallow, or who attempt to starve themselves, or to wash out the stomach during disease. It is a syringe with a flexible tube, inserted into the stomach through tiie oesophagus, by which fluid is injected and re- moved. STOMATA (Neo-Lat. nom. pi., from Gk. OTO/ja, stoma, Av. staman, mouth). The so-called breathing pores especially numerous in foliage leaves and developed in any epidermis overlying green tissue. Each stoma consists of two cres- centic guard cells whose concave surfaces face one another, leaving a slit which is opened or closed as required by the plant, hence the name 'autoinntic gateway.' See Leaf. STOMATITIS. See Mouth, Diseases op THE. STOM'ATOP'ODA. See Crustacea; JVUntis- Shkijip. STONE. See Builmxg Stone. STONE. See Weights and Measukes. STONE. See Calculus. STONE, Artificial. The name given to various artificial compositions of which the basis is hydraulic cement, which are plastic when first made and assume with age a stone-like hardness and consistency. Some of these compositions possess undeniable merit for certain kinds of Work and are considerably used. The chief stones of this character are Beton-Coignet, Portland stone, Jlcilurtrie stone, Eansome stone, and Sorel stone. Beton-Coignet was invented by Coignet. a Fi-enchman. and as made by him was composed of Portland cement, siliceous hydraulic cement, and clean sand vciy thoroughly mixed with a