suppose a persons stomach wall was irritated by an over-secretion of stomach acid. why do you think a person would take milk of magnesia, a basic solution? explain your answer in terms of pH.

The pH of stomach secretion is low. This means it is acidic. Too much production can corrode the stomach wall. Therefore in such a situation drinking a basic solution with a higher pH neutralizes some of the stomach acidic secretions hence relieving the effect;

Acid + Base -  Salt + Water