Chemical Changes in the Blood of the Dog after Obstruction of the Esophagus and of the Cardiac End of the Stomach

Ligation of the cardiac end of the stomach or of the esophagus in ten dogs produced a severe toxemia, and rapid death. In seven of the animals there occurred a marked rise in the total non-protein nitrogen and urea nitrogen of the blood. The dogs living longest with cardiac obstruction showed a fall in blood chlorides and a rise in the CO(2)-combining power of the plasma. All the dogs with an obstruction of the esophagus showed a fall in blood chlorides. Control animals subjected to other types of abdominal operations showed no significant changes in the blood.