Bloomington Herald

The Gastric Juice.—Professor Stillman, in a late lecture, stated that the gastric juice, which is the great agent of digestion, would pour into the stomach when any food or other substance is placed there. This juice, he said was easily taken from the stomach, and he had a bottle of it. The liquid was at the present time apparently as pure as it was ten years ago. It had the peculiar property of self-preservation, or of resisting putrefaction. It would if warmed to blood heat, dissolve meat in a wine glass. He said he had never come to any satisfactory conclusion, as to its character from his attempts at analyzing it; and he had sent a portion of it to one of the most learned and skilful chemists of Europe, but he was able to throw but very little light upon the subject. But this, professor S. said he did know, that it had no affinity with alcohol. and that they were in their nature and attributes totally diverse, and possessed counteracting qualities. Philad. Courier.