Experimental Studies in Gastric Physiology

Since Heidenhain's 1 observation that pure gastric juice in normal dog was secreted at an acidity of 0.5 to 0.6 per cent hydrochloric acid, and particularly since its confirmation in human beings by Carlson, 2 physiologists have puzzled over mechanism involved in reduction of this high acidity to one ordinarily seen in gastric contents. In general, many theories evolved to explain reduction concern themselves with one or other of two mechanisms: (1) neutralization and (2) dilution. Babkin 3 recently gave an excellent resume of this subject. It is our intention to inquire into only one of these theories, one that has doubtless enjoyed greatest popularity. This is theory developed by Boldyreff and styled by him the self-regulation of gastric acidity. Briefly, it contends that small intestine cannot tolerate an acid stronger than from 0.1 to 0.15 per cent