EFFECTS OF DISTENTION OF THE INTESTINE 



239 



THE INTESTINE OF THE GUINEA-PIG 



Normal contraction 



An adult guinea-pig weighing 525 grams was starved for 

 four days in order that the digestive tube might be emptied. 

 Although the stomach and large intestine still contained a mod- 

 erate amount of food material, the small intestine was almost 

 empty and contracted. Small pieces of the intestine (3 to 5 

 cm. in length), taken at measured intervals below the pyloric 

 and colic valves, were removed and placed in Zenker's fluid. 

 As shown in table 1 the 'thickness of the mucosa and the length 

 of the villi and glands diminishes as the colic valve is neared. 



TABLE 1 



Measurements made from normally contracted pieces of small intestine of the guinea- 

 pig. Total length of small intestine 125 cm. 



1 Greatest 



- Not including muscularis mucosae 



The form of the villi as seen in cross section of the intestine is 

 shown in figure 5. They appear as tall and slender projections, 

 but these elevations are in fact zig-zag folds which run trans- 

 versely around the wall of the intestine. Their true form may 

 be readily seen in whole mounts and has been correctly described 

 by Bujard. Owing to their zig-zag form, the villi present simi- 

 lar appearances when seen in longitudinal or transverse sections 

 of the intestine. In the lower part of the intestine, according 

 to Bujard, the villi tend to be more pointed and conical. 



Certain portions of the large intestine examined showed con- 

 siderable variation in the length of the glands. Although the 



