THE HYDRODYNAMICS OF THE RELIEF OF DISTENTION IN THE GASTRO-INTESTINAL TRACT BY SUCTION APPLIED TO INLYING CATHETERS

INTRODUCTION  The clinical use of nasal catheter suction-siphonage on over two thousand patients presenting a great variety of pathologic conditions at the University Hospitals during the past four years has amply proved how distention and stasis in the stomach and small intestine may be satisfactorily controlled.¹ The technic of its application and the indications and contraindications for its use as well as the results which may be achieved have been reported.²In the following thesis an attempt is made to elucidate some of the mechanicophysiologic principles concerned and the manner in which distention is prevented or preexisting distention is relieved by the use of this method.

Historical Background.3  —The use of tubes inserted through the esophagus to relieve gaseous distention probably dates from 1767, when Alexander Monro II, of Edinburgh, employed a flexible tube of coiled wire covered with leather to remove fermenting fluids and gases from