EXPERIMENTS ON THE HORSE STOMACH

¹ Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeenshire

1. Strips of muscle from the saccus cæcus of the horse's stomach showed slow contractions, and strips from the pyloric part faster con-tractions. Both were inhibited by adrenaline and stimulated with acetylcholine.

2. The excised stomach showed only feeble contractions even when perfused with blood.

3. Records of stomach contractions in the unanæsthetized horse were secured by using stomach tubes of narrow diameter.

4. Introducing a wide diameter stomach tube into the sophagus inhibited stomach contractions.

5. Feeding induced contractions, and fasting for 12-24 hours caused them to stop or become intermittent. Intermittent contractions were not inhibited by feeding.

6. Stomach contractions were inhibited by adrenaline and atropine. Histamine, carbaminoylcholine and posterior pituitary extract had little action on the actively contracting or on the quiescent stomach.

Note:

The preliminary part of this work was carried out at the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College whilst holding a grant from the Agricultural Research Council. I am indebted to the Council for the grant and to Professor W. M. Mitchell for laboratory facilities.