The alterations in structure of any of the body organs, when produced by disease, are of greatest clinical importance when accompanied by disturbances in the function of the involved part. The function of the musculature of the stomach, that is, its motor function, is one of the most essential attributes of that organ; disturbances of this function characterize many of the earliest stages of gastric diseases. In this paper we have attempted to correlate the results of our studies on the variations of the functions of the gastric musculature in diseased conditions. Kymographic methods were utilized in their demonstration, as described by Cannon and Washburn1 and by Carlson2 and his associates, and studies of gastric hunger contractions and gastric tonus were carried on.
HISTORICAL
In 1877, von Pfungen3 demonstrated, in the antrum of the stomach of animals, contractions occurring regularly three times a minute.Morat,4 in 1882, made use of