Scrutiny of this year's literature on the activity and disturbances of the alimentary tract reveals, as usual, material of purely physiologic interest, observations based on clinical investigation and actual studies of disease in relation to diagnosis or therapeusis. No attempt will be made to review the entire literature on gastroenterologic subjects, as it is too voluminous and many of the contributions are merely repetitive. Articles have been chosen with a view chiefly to their clinical application. Many important articles dealing with nutritional problems that bear on the function of the digestive tract have been considered outside the scope of this review.
ESOPHAGUS
Little new has been added to knowledge of the physiology or of the diseases of the esophagus. It is important, however, to note the continued interest in the surgical treatment of carcinoma of the esophagus, inasmuch as palliative treatment by irradiation or bougienage is for the most part