Abnormalities of the small intestine, including tumors, may be clinically unsuspected. Signs and symptoms may be so vague that a small-bowel roentgen examination is not requested by the referring physician (4), and in most institutions this is not carried out routinely following roentgen study of the stomach and duodenum. One reason for this omission is the variability from patient to patient in the time for passage of the barium meal into the cecum, necessitating a large number of films (11). Procedures have been designed by other workers to facilitate roentgen examination of the small intestine. The “small-intestinal enema” of Schatzki, which entails introduction of barium by a catheter into the duodenum or high jejunum, must be done as a separate procedure (12). Weintraub and Williams (15) reported that in 90 per cent of normal cases an orally administered suspension of barium sulfate in saline will, when followed by ice-cold saline, reach the cecum in less than one hour. This method, however, has not received general acceptance. Many observers believe that it does not afford optimal information because of superimposition of loops of small bowel and a poor ileal pattern. This paper describes a method for obtaining good visualization of all the loops of the small bowel in almost every patient undergoing upper gastrointestinal examination. The procedure does not affect gastric and duodenal morphology, does not markedly prolong the patient's stay in the x-ray department, and does not unduly increase the number of films. If small-bowel disease is discovered or suspected following this rapid survey, the method can, by more frequent filming and individualization, be adapted to a detailed study. In this way the speed factor can be retained without sacrifice in accuracy. The technic has been employed during the last ten months in over 3,000 patients having upper gastrointestinal examinations at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology. Procedure and Results Neostigmine methylsulfate (Prostigmin-Roche) is routinely administered to all patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal examination, in order to accelerate transport of barium through the small bowel and to increase intestinal tone. Super-imposition of intestinal loops is correspondingly reduced. Half a milligram of the drug (0.75 mg. in patients over 190 lb.) is injected subcutaneously after fluoroscopy of the stomach and duodenum is completed. Films of the small bowel are obtained at intervals thereafter. Patients with a history of recent myocardial infarction are the only group not given neostigmine. Over 3,000 upper gastrointestinal examinations with neostigmine have been completed, with virtually no untoward results. In no case was medication or cessation of the examination necessary. Five patients complained of severe abdominal cramps.