and in 6 (40 per cent) of the patients mentioned with early temporary diarrhoea. This type of diarrhoea occurred as frequently after selective vagotomy as after total vagotomy. The incidence of pyloric stenosis in the whole vagotomy series was 24 per cent and in the pyloroplasty group 23 per cent. The incidence of pyloric stenosis in the 79 pyloroplasty patients showing a noticeable delay in the second week was 28 per cent, suggesting that pyloric stenosis is not a predisposing factor. However, 5 out of the 10 cases with severe delay in Table I did have pyloric stenosis. Hendry (1963) and Williams and Barnes (1966) found that pyloric stenosis did not predispose to gastric stasis after vagotomy. SUMMARYThree cases of acute dilatation of the stomach after vagotomy are described. Ten more cases of THE TECHNIQUE THEconsiderable gastric distension were detected by barium meal. All showed a large amount of residual fluid after starving overnight. It is suggested that a routine vertical film of the abdomen before breakfast to show the presence of residual fluid should be done on rice-eating people between the eighth and ninth day after vagotomy before allowing them to go on to a rice diet because of its hygroscopic properties and bulk. 452BRIT.

Emotion and Cortisol Levels-Black and Friedman MEDICAfLJOURNAL 481 concluded that suggested hypnotic anaesthesia effectively prevents the full rise in cortisol levels usually produced by painbut may have no effect on the physiological response to cold in this respect.

No abstract