Abstract
Very little is known about the influence of the sympathetic nervous system on the gastric glands (Volborth and Kudryavzeff 1 ), and the data concerning the effect of epinephrine on the gastric secretion are rather confusing (Lim, 2 Ivy and Mcllvain, 3 Sirotinin, 4 Hess and Hundlach 5 ).
Experiments were performed on dogs and cats anesthetized with a mixture of chloralose and urethane. The splanchnic nerves were isolated below the diaphragm and placed on shield electrodes. The vagi were either cut at the neck or tied around the oesophagus below the diaphragm. The pylorus was ligated and a fistula placed in the posterior wall of the stomach and brought out in the left flank through a stab wound.
Rhythmic stimulation of the splanchnics was carried out in this fashion for periods of 8 to 10 hours. In most of the experiments a secretion of thick alkaline mucoid fluid began during the first hour of stimulation and continued at a steady rate thoughout the experiment. In dogs of average weight (8 to 10 kg.) the hourly amount was from 3 to 5 cc, and in cats 1 to 2 cc. Occasionally when the stomach reaction was acid at the beginning of the experiment, the samples of mucus during the first few hours remained faintly acid, but the acidity rapidly diminished and ultimately the reaction became alkaline. When the secretion was acidified (Metts'method) it showed a moderate peptic power (75 to 200 units). The chloride content was lower than that of gastric juice, viz., 380 to 450 mg. Cl.
In some experiments the pylorus was divided from the body and fundus, and the secretion was collected separately from both parts. This showed that the secretion was not exclusively from the pyloric clands.
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