Excerpt from The Physiology of Alimentation I. The General Functions of the Alimentary Tract. - Under the functions of the alimentary tract are included all the functions of the hollow tube which begins with the mouth and ends with the anus, together with certain of those of the glands which pour their secretions into this tube. The changes which the food undergoes in its passage through this tube are in part purely mechanical - such for example as are the consequence of mastication or the movements of the stomach - in larger part, however, chemical. As an example of the latter may be mentioned the conversion in the stomach of albuminous bodies such as egg white into the chemically less complex peptones. Yet these chemical changes are frequently associated with physical standpoint may at times be quite as important as the chemical changes themselves. We can classify the various substance which serve as food under the general headings of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and inorganic substances. Under the first heading fall, for example, the lean meats, the white of egg, etc.

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