Re: how much pressure can the human stomach take before it explodes?

Talk to the local School of Gastroenterology.  The stomach is open on both 
ends.  Before it ruptures it usually releases in both directions.  A 
ruptured stomach is generally fatal.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/07/04/hotdog.fourth/ 

At least one human stomach can hold 50.5 Nathan's hot dogs plus buns.

William Graves, editor of "National Geographic," sued the makers of Arm and 
Hammer Baking Soda, claiming that twelve years prior, after eating a bowl 
of chili, two martinis, and a glass of wine, he woke up with indigestion 
and drank some baking soda in a glass of water, causing his stomach to 
explode in 12991.  Hoever, he did have an ulcer to provide a point of 
failure.  See the proceedings of Superior Court in New Brunswick, NJ. 

NM Downs, PA Stonebridge, Department of Surgery, Royal Infirmary, 
Edinburgh. "Gastric rupture due to excessive sodium bicarbonate ingestion" 
Scott. Med. J. 34(5) 534-5 (1989) 

F Tonetti, P Gorini, "A case of stomach rupture after ingestion of sodium 
bicarbonate" Minerva Chir. 43(20) 1737-9 (1988) 

P Barna, "Sodium bicarbonate: burst stomachs and high sodium" J. Clin. 
Gastroenterol. 8(6) 697-8 (1986)

N Lazebnik, A Iellin, M. Michowitz, "Spontaneous rupture of the normal 
stomach after sodium bicarbonate ingestion" J. Clin. Gastroenterol. 8(4) 
454-6 (1986)

B Brismar, A Strandberg, B Wiklund, "Stomach rupture following ingestion of 
sodium bicarbonate" Acta Chir. Scand. Suppl. 530 97-9 (1986)
A case of stomach rupture occurring after hyperdistention of the stomach 
following ingestion of sodium bicarbonate is described and the 
pathophysiological mechanism is discussed.

--
Uncle Al 
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/eotvos.htm
 (Do something naughty to physics)