366 DISEASES OF THE G ASTRO-INTESTINAL TRACT. 



THE STOMACH. 



ALTERATIONS IN POSITION AND SIZE. 



Gastroptosis, or total descent of the stomach, is the most fre- 

 quent displacement. It may be associated with similar dis- 

 placements of the other abdominal organs enteroptosis, or 

 Glenard's disease. 



Gastrectasia, or dilatation of the stomach, may result from 

 pyloric obstruction produced by the cicatrix of a healing 

 ulcer, carcinoma, pressure of a tumor, etc. ; or may occur in 

 consequence of simple atony of the muscular walls brought 

 about by overfeeding, inflammatory or degenerative changes. 

 The resulting stagnation of the stomach-contents leads to ab- 

 normal fermentations and a train of symptoms due to auto- 

 intoxication. When due to pyloric obstruction the dilatation 

 may be enormous. At first there may be compensatory hyper- 

 trophy of the muscle-walls of the stomach ; but later they 

 become thin and atrophied, and the mucous membrane non- 

 absorptive. 



SIMPLE ACUTE GASTRITIS. 



Simple acute gastritis is an exceedingly common condition. 

 In most cases it results from dietetic errors excessive in- 

 dulgence, ingestion of food which has undergone partial de- 

 composition, or is too hot or too cold. It may also be pro- 

 duced by various chemical irritants, as arsenic, the iodides and 

 salicylates, even in therapeutic doses. The mucous membrane 

 is found to be congested, swollen, covered with a film of 

 glairy mucus, especially in the pyloric region, and punctated 

 here and there by small hemorrhagic patches. The gastric 

 secretion is reduced in quantity and quality, a fact first ob- 

 served by Beaumont, through a gastric fistula, in the case of 

 the Canadian, Alexis St. Martin. The clinical opportunities 

 for noting the marked change in the quality of the gastric 

 juice the hypochlorhydria, etc. are numerous, through the 

 use of the stomach-tube. 



Microscopically both the parietal and the central cells of the 

 gastric tubules are swollen and granular ; the bloodvessels of 

 the interglandular connective tissue are distended and sur- 



