According
to Guyot-Daubes, these organs, in a straight line, extend a
distance of from 55 to 62 cm., and consequently the performer is
enabled to swallow an instrument of this length. The length is
divided as follows:--
Mouth and pharynx, . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 to 12 cm.
Esophagus, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 to 28 cm.
Distended stomach, . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 to 22 cm.
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55 to 62 cm.
These acrobats with the sword have rendered important service to
medicine. It was through the good offices of a sword-swallower
that the Scotch physician, Stevens, was enabled to make his
experiments on digestion. He caused this assistant to swallow
small metallic tubes pierced with holes. They were filled,
according to Reaumur's method, with pieces of meat. After a
certain length of time he would have the acrobat disgorge the
tubes, and in this way he observed to what degree the process of
digestion had taken place. It was also probably the
sword-swallower who showed the physicians to what extent the
pharynx could be habituated to contact, and from this resulted
the invention of the tube of Faucher, the esophageal sound,
ravage of the stomach, and illumination of this organ by electric
light.
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