THE EFFECT OF VAGOTOMY ON GASTRIC EMPTYING TIME

Abstract

Thoracic vagotomy in the dog lengthened for at least 5 mos., perhaps permanently, the final emptying time of the stomach 3-4 times for diets of milk or dog biscuit with barium. After the immediate variable effects, the initial emptying time for milk and Ba [7 dogs], but not for a more solid diet of dog biscuit and Ba [3 dogs], was shortened by vagotomy. The final emptying time of fluid diets, such as peptone and sucrose or gelatin, which could form no curds or precipitates, remained normal after vagotomy. The amt. of fluid in the test diet is believed to account for most of the discrepancies in the literature on gastric emptying times after vagotomy. If the stomach is kept permanently distended the addition of further food allows emptying to proceed at a fairly normal rate. All the evidence indicates that the vagus is necessary for the existence of normal gastric tonus and that emptying depends in some way on the degree of this tonus.