During the last 15 years there has been an evolution in the management of perforated peptic ulcer. The established policy of immediate laparotomy and simple closure of the lesion has been challenged by those advocating either non-operative conservatism (Taylor and Warren, 1956) or, at the other extreme, emergency definitive surgery (Judin, 1937; Cooley, Jordan, Brockman, and DeBakey, 1955; Emme...