Abstract
A method for the study of the muscular activity of the intestinal segment permitting a continuous flow through its lumen of a fluid which is readily replaceable by another is presented. A segment, suspended vertically, is attached by its cephalad end to a stationary glass inlet-tube and by its caudal end to a movable glass outlet-tube. The stationary tube immediately branches into two, each branch receiving fluid from a bottle which delivers at constant pressure. In both bottles the pressure is adjusted to the same value before the actual experiment is begun, so that, when one fluid replaces the other, any change in the muscular activity of the segment cannot be ascribed to a pressure difference. The outflow may be so regulated that any desired rate of perfusion can be maintained. In the outlet system a graduated side arm is arranged in communication with a tambour to record the pressure changes within the segment. These pressure changes produce volume changes in the graduated side arm which calibrates continuously the record made by the tambour. The contractions of the longitudinal fibers are simultaneously recorded by attaching a thread to the glass outlet tube and bringing it over a system of pulleys to a lever. The segment with its attachments is immersed in a beaker of oxygenated Locke's solution kept at body temperature. The method has proved useful in the study of the influence of extracts on the muscular coats after passage through the mucosa.
This is a preliminary report.
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