In a study to determine whether acute gastric ulcers are predisposed to carcinogenesis by the oral carcinogen N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) it was found that repeated stress ulceration, produced by restraint and cold water immersion, protected the rat stomachs from the carcinogenic effect of MNNG. Thus, none of the rats subjected to the repeated stress procedure developed any stomach tumour despite taking MNNG in drinking water for 12 months. For comparison, in a control group of 42 rats taking MNNG only, stomach tumours were found in 26 rats (62%). The mechanism of this is obscure; increased vagal activity and hyperacidity are suggested explanations.