Gastric Peristalsis. 



3! 



hours after operation the tambour registered only very slight vol- 

 ume changes of the stomach. Inspection showed no visible peri- 

 stalsis. After some days peristalsis was again normal. 



Reflex stoppage of peristalsis resulted from strong odors, sud- 

 den movements before the animal's eyes, loud noises, pain, just as 

 in normal animals. 



Second Series. Section of the splanchnic nerves only. — As a 

 rule good, effective peristalsis occurred less than one hour after 

 the operation. The waves, however, are slower, and the period of 

 contraction seems to be of longer deviation than normally. 



Regarding the reflex effect of sensory stimuli, the data are as 

 yet too few to permit a definite statement, but it seems as if the 

 ordinary stimuli employed exerted no marked effect on the course 

 of stomach peristalsis. 



Third Series. Section of vagi and splanchnics. — After section 

 of all the extrinsic nerves peristalsis usually appeared within one 

 hour but was not normal until some days after the operation. 



The various sensory stimuli, which in the normal animal caused 

 inhibition of the stomach movement, were now ineffective. The 

 stomach, however, showed periods of inactivity alternating with 

 periods of strong peristalsis. As these stoppages bore no definite 

 relation in time to any stimulus applied to the animal, they were 

 probably due to inhibitory influences exercised by the plexuses of 

 Meissner and Auerbach. 



These results confirm the statement that of the extrinsic nerves 

 the vagi are chiefly motor and the splanchnics chiefly inhibitory 

 for the motility of the stomach. 



They also show that apparently normal stomach peristalsis is 

 by no means dependent upon the extrinsic nerves, that the local 

 mechanism is amply sufficient after some time. 



The results show that the local nervous mechanism in the 

 walls of the stomach must depend largely under normal conditions 

 upon the directing influences of the vagi and splanchnics, for it 

 usually takes days before the local government is able to produce 

 strong, powerful, well-coordinated gastric waves. 



