In her book "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal," Mary Roach discusses Beaumont's experiments with gastric juice, emphasizing his curiosity about its effectiveness beyond the stomach. He sought to understand whether the digestive fluid could break down food outside of its natural environment, and his findings confirmed this capability.

Beaumont collected numerous samples of St. Martin's gastric secretions and conducted experiments by introducing different types of food into vials filled with these juices. This process transformed his cabin into a unique laboratory, filled with the essence of digestive science as he explored the workings of the human alimentary canal.