“After the food has remained in the stomach from one to three hours, or even longer, if the digestion is slow, or indigestible foods have been eaten, the contractions of the stomach become so vigorous that the more fluid portions of the food are squeezed out through the pylorus, the lower orifice of the stomach, thus escaping into the intestine.  The pylorus does not exercise any sort of intelligence in the selection of food, as was once supposed.  The increasing acidity of the contents of the stomach causes its muscular walls to contract with increasing vigor, until finally those portions of the food which may be less perfectly broken up, but which the stomach has been unable to digest, are forced through the pylorus.

“Intestinal Digestion.—­As it leaves the stomach, the partially digested mass of food is intensely acid, from the large quantity of gastric juices which it contains.  Intestinal digestion cannot begin until the food becomes alkaline.  The alkaline bile neutralizes the gastric juice, and renders the digesting mass slightly alkaline.  The bile also acts upon the fatty elements of the food, converting them into an emulsion.  The pancreatic juice converts the starch into grape-sugar, even acting upon raw starch.  It also digest fats and albumem.  The intestinal juice continues the work begun by the other digestive fluids, and, in addition, digests cane-sugar, converting it into grape-sugar.

“Other Uses of the Digestive Fluids.—­In addition to the uses which we have already stated, several of the digestive fluids possess other interesting properties.  The saliva aids the stomach by stimulating its glands to make gastric juice.  The gastric juice and the bile are excellent antiseptics, by which the food is preserved from fermentation while undergoing digestion.  The bile also stimulates the movements of the intestines by which the food is moved along, and aids absorption.  It is remarkable and interesting that a fluid so useful as the bile should be at the same time composed of waste matters which are being removed from the body.  This is an illustration of the wonderful economy shown by nature in her operations.

“The food is moved along the alimentary canal, from the stomach downward, by successive contractions of the muscular walls of the intestines, known as peristaltic movements, which occur with great regularity during digestion.

“Absorption.—­The absorption of the food begins as soon as any portion has been digested.  Even in the mouth and the esophagus a small amount is absorbed.  The entire mucous membrane lining the digestive canal is furnished with a rich supply of blood-vessels, by which the greater part of the digestive food is absorbed.