SIR,-A man aged 40 was admitted in July 1967 with a reducible right inguinal hernia and an undescended left testis. The right testis, normal in size and consistency, was present in the scrotum. Exploration of the right inguinal canal revealed a completely patent processus vaginalis with the testis inside the sac. On applying traction to the testis, an oval mass, apparently intra-abdominal, was ...

Concentrations of free and total hydrogen ions, total protein and pepsin were measured in gastric juice fractions collected during basal secretion and upon stimulation by graded doses of pentagastrin administered intravenously. Undissociated hydrogen ion and non-pepsin protein concentrations were calculated as derived quantities. The studies were carried out in nine patients with duodenal ulcer...

Disorders of small bowel function after gastric surgery are well recognized and occur even after vagotomy and drainage procedures (Logan, 1964). Various aetiological factors have been suggested. They include altered motility, inadequate mixing of food and digestive enzymes, diminished pancreatic secretion, and the effect of blind or stagnant loops. Watson, Watt, Paton, Glen, and Lewis (1966) su...

Cholecystokinin (CCK), a gastrointestinal hormone, is secreted by the duodenum in response to the presence of gastric acid, amino acids and nutrients in particular fat in the duodenal lumen (1). The half life of this hormone is about 2.5 minutes and the kidney is considered the major site of its uptake from the systemic circulation. Cholecystokinin is responsible for stimulating gallbladder con...

The effects of an afferent stimulation of the vagus nerve, hypercapnia and hyperventilation on the discharges of pontine, medullary and phrenic respiratory neurons were studied. The responses were investigated in spontaneously breathing, lightly anaesthetized rabbits with intact vagi, and subsequently during artificial ventilation, after vagotomy and under surgical anaesthesia. We found that th...

This report describes a personal experience of 2472 operations carried Out for duodenal ulcer between 1964 and 1980 in Athens, Greece. An attempt is made to assess the short and long-term results after diffe rent surgical approaches including truncal vagotomy + antrectOmy (TV + A), truncal vagotomy + drainage (pyloroplasty or gastrojejunostomy) (TV + D), polya gastrectomy (PG), and proximal gas...

In 6 dogs the influence of consecutively a selective proximal vagotomy (SPV) and a truncal vagotomy (TV) on gallbladder bile composition was studied. Following SPV no significant changes in biliary lipids were observed. On the other hand, after TV an increase of deoxycholic acid (D) and a concomitant decrease of cholic acid (C) occurred, resulting in a marked increase of the D/C ratio. Although...

The operation of vagotomy was suggested as long ago a's I812 by Brodie and was tried in cases of gastric crises by Exner and Schwatzman in 1912, and Latarjet in 1923. Bircher (1920), Steirlin (1920) and Schiassi (I925) reported good results in peptic ulcer, but the results do not appear to have been lasting and others who tried the operation were soon disappointed. Not until 1942 was really com...