PART IV 



METHODS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF GASTRIC 



JUICE 



THE FRACTIONAL METHOD OF GASTRIC ANALYSIS 1 



Procedure in Gastric Analysis by the Fractional Method 



1. Introduction of the stomach tube. 



2. Removal of the residuum. 



3. Feeding the test meal. 



4. Feeding the retention meal (in special cases). 



5. Removing samples of stomach contents for analysis. 



6. Examination of the samples for: 



(a) Total acidity. 

 (6) Free acidity. 



(c) Pepsin. 



(d) Trypsin. 



1. Introduction of the Stomach Tube. Whereas the large tube 

 is directly inserted by propulsion, the Rehfuss tube is swallowed 

 in the natural manner and aided by gravity. The tube may be 

 passed in one of three ways, i.e.: (1) lubricated; (2) with aid of 

 fluid; (3) after throat is cocainized. When passed by the first 

 method the tip of the tube, after thorough lubrication with 

 glycerol or liquid petrolatum, is seized between the thumb and fore- 

 finger and placed on the tongue. Then with the aid of the fore- 

 finger the tip is pushed backward until it reaches the root of the 

 tongue and is engaged in the oropharynx. Then the patient is en- 

 couraged to swallow persistently while the tube is slowly fed into 

 1 Hawk: Practical Physiological Chemistry, Sixth Edition, 1918. 



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