Show gas pressure may be result of excitement by DR JAMES W BARTON U T just a few years ago gas was thought to be due in all cases to the foods eaten beans onions cabbages lettuce peas beans more re bently it was thought that in the great majority of HEALTH cases ga s forma COLUMN tion and pressure L was duo due to a sluggish liver and gall bladder many cases also are believed due to fermentation of protein foods meat eggs fish it is now agreed that many nervous or excitable individuals those who eat their food hurriedly swallow quantities of air during meals and particularly ticul arly if they use much fluid tea coffee milk or water during meals dr walter alvarez mayo clinic who for many years has done much original research work on the stomach and intestines says in the ohio medical journal for reasons yet unknown some persons swallow much air as they drink A dry dinner will sometimes give a much more comfortable night among the other causes of flatulence gas are food sen dr barton siti veness being allergic or sensitive to some particular food or foods such as eggs wheat berries a plug or hardened waste matter in the rectum or lowest part ot of large intestine 1 which forces gas back up into small intestine and even into the stomach nervous excitement before during and after eating oil which while lubricating the wastes seems to cause gas pressure and any substances added to laxatives in order to add bulk to the wastes walls are strengthened despite the formation of gas caused by these bulky substances such as agar most physicians believe that this bu bulkiness distends dis tends the bowel and causes the muscles of the bowel to squeeze harder on the mass of waste and so prevents constipation the bowel is kept in in a better condition of health if its muscular walls have something that causes them to contract or squeeze upon the wastes the walls increase in muscular strength by this work or exercise As mentioned before it if the gas from the stomach or bowel is without odor it is considered as being swallowed air if odor is present then gas is due to one or more of the conditions above mentioned removal of gall bladder T HAVE spoken before of the pa 1 tient who underwent operation for ulcer of the stomach expecting that all his symptoms would disappear never to return he was greatly disappointed when his physician told him that if he stop worrying eating rapidly and not getting enough rest he would likely grow another ulcer operation for ulcer of the stomach is not now so common since it has been found that the patients personality is usually the underlying cause drs E L eliason and J P north philadelphia in annals of surgery report their study of cases from one to four years after operation they found that only 6 per cent 16 cases were not relieved of the symptoms for which they underwent operation in four other cases the relief was delayed and in others the symptoms complained of were not due to gall bladder disturbance cases are investigated now 6 per cent is not a large percentage to fail to get relief after removal of their gall bladders but drs ellason eliason and north investigated these cases and found that in half of them 8 there were no gross or outstanding evidences of gall bladder disease at time of operation but in the other half 8 the surgeon found a diseased gall bladder with stones yet the patient was not helped by the removal of the gall bladder the explanation is that sometimes mes conditions other than gallstones can give similar symptoms since many gallstones are silent ones the lesson here then is that despite the mistakes physicians may make and the inability of a patient to properly describe his symptoms practically 19 of every 20 cases undergoing der going th this is operation obtained relief from their symptoms for those then that are suffering with gall bladder symptoms e especially those with the terrible attacks of gallstone c olic colic the fact that operation gives relief to such a large percentage should not only allay their fears of ope gation but should give them great hope of obtaining immediate relief and keeping free from symptoms thereafter by western newspaper arioni |