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Further Observations on the Pathology of Gastric Ulcer. 



[Progress Report.) 



By Charles Bolton, M.D., D.Sc, F.R.C.P., Director of the Eesearch 

 Laboratories, University College Hospital Medical School, Assistant 

 Physician to University College Hospital. 



(Communicated by Prof. Sidney Martin, F.R.S. Eeceived November 16, 1909, — 



Read January 20, 1910.) 



(From the Research Laboratories, University College Hospital Medical School.) 



[Plates 8 and 9.] 



The gastric ulcers in these experiments were produced by the injection of 

 gastrotoxic serum. In a former communication (1) it was demonstrated that 

 the serum, formed by immunising the rabbit with the gastric cells of the 

 guinea-pig or with those of another rabbit, on injection into the guinea- 

 pig's peritoneum produced general symptoms of intoxication and patches of 

 necrosis in the mucous membrane of the stomach. In two later communica- 

 tions (2) and (3) the reactions of gastrotoxin in vitro and its precise mode of 

 action in corpore were demonstrated. 



In a fourth paper (4) the healing of gastrotoxic ulcers was dealt with, the 

 method adopted in this series of experiments being that of injection of the 

 serum directly into the stomach wall, so that it attacked the gastric cells 

 directly and not through the blood stream, and in this way an ulcer was. 

 produced without general symptoms of intoxication. Briefly stated, it was 

 found that such ulcers invariably healed within three or four weeks, and 

 that, so long as the stomach emptied itself in the normal time, any moderate 

 alteration in the acidity of the gastric contents did not delay the healing 

 of the ulcers. 



Chronic gastric ulcer in the human subject is, however, a common malady 

 and, since ulcers formed by the process of self- digestion are initially acute, 

 it was considered that there must be present some unknown condition or 

 conditions which prevents the healing of such chronic ulcers. 



The present communication deals especially with the effects of motor 

 insufficiency of the stomach upon the healing of gastric ulcer. 



In order to study the effects of motor insufficiency, it is necessary to use 

 an animal which eats definite meals and has definite resting periods between. 

 The cat was chosen as a suitable animal. 



VOL. LXXXII. — B. U 



