EFFECTS OF DISTENTION OF THE INTESTINE 245 



Distention of the stomach and oesophagus 



Before concluding the present work it seems desirable to call 

 attention to the effects of distention upon the mucous mem- 

 branes of the stomach and oesophagus. Strong distention of the 

 stomach of the cat and of the guinea-pig brings about a thinning 

 out of the mucosa, a shortening of both pits and glands which 

 at the same time are widened and spread apart. 



In the oesophagus of these animals strong distention brings 

 about a marked flattening of the stratified squamous epithelium 

 and an apparent reduction in the number of its cell layers. Thus, 

 the oesophageal epithelium of the cat which is normally com- 

 posed of 13 to 18 layers of polygonal cells, on strong disten- 

 tion appears to consist of 6 to 8 layers of very much flattened 

 cells. The effects here upon the epithelium of the oesophagus 

 are somewhat comparable to those which may be produced 

 upon the epithelium of the ureter through distention as described 

 by Harvey ('09). 



CONCLUSIONS 



The effects of distention of the intestine may be enumerated 

 as follows : 



1. The outer intestinal coats become reduced in thickness. 



2. The mucosa becomes reduced in thickness. 



3. The villi become shorter and broader. 



4. Glands become shorter and broader. In the guinea-pig 

 and mouse they may entirely disappear if the intestine is strongly 

 distended. 



5. In the intestine of the guinea-pig the epithelium becomes 

 flattened upon strong distention. 



It is evident from the foregoing results that the shapes of 

 villi and glands are to a great extent dependent upon the con- 

 dition of distention or contraction of the intestine. This is 

 true not only for marked distention produced experimentally, 

 but for the smaller amounts of distention which take place 

 under normal conditions. It seems probable, therefore, that 

 with each dilation and contraction of normal peiistalsis and 



