Gastric Secretion in Infants and Children

A simple, rapid and satisfactory method of investigating the gastric secretion in infants and children is of undoubted value in their clinical investigation. The difficulties experienced by the use of the ordinary methods in children necessitates a new approach. With the usual method of passing a gastric tube followed by a test meal, the psychical and physical disturbances which ensue must have an adverse effect upon the functions in question. The swallowing of considerable amounts of saliva and mucus introduces difficulties. The gastric fluid removed after a test meal consists of an intimate mixture in which there is no pure gastric juice. The juice has undergone considerable change, such as dilution, buffering and partial neutralization. The variations in the type of meal used, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the frequency of vomiting during the test, and the length of time usually required for its completion all tend to lessen the value of the method.