478 



C. M. Child 



of the body occurs in the cesophageal region, whether it be at the 

 oral or aboral end of a piece, Figs. 7 and 8, Fig. 13, the body-wall 

 and oesophagus unite so that the oesophagus remains widely open 

 to the exterior. 



Aboral to the oesophagus the mesenteries play little or no part 

 in closing terminal wounds since they hang free in the enteron and 

 their contraction after injury can produce no marked mechanical 

 effect on the body-wall. In these regions oral or aboral ends close 



8 



10 



II 



12 



by approximation and inrolling of the cut margins (Figs. 9 and 10), 

 but the closure requires a longer time and is imperfect or retarded 

 much more frequently than in the oesophageal region. 



In cases of partial transverse section of the body, i.e., of trans- 

 verse lateral wounds, the method of wound-closure depends on 

 whether the oesophagus is involved in the wound or not. When 

 such a wound in the oesophageal region is deep enough to cut 

 through a part of the wall of the oesophagus, the cut surfaces of 

 the mesenteries, oral and aboral to the wound, contract exactly 

 as in the case of a terminal wound, and oesophagus and body-wall 



