DECOMPRESSION of the small bowel by intestinal intubation is now a well established surgical principle. Many persons, while recognizing the value of this procedure, have experienced difficulties in the passage of the tube beyond the pylorus and in maintaining adequate suction. It has therefore seemed worth while to develop a type of tube which can be more easily passed even in the hands of those using the procedure only occasionally. A good general discussion of the problems associated with the technic of intestinal intubation has been presented by Johnston.1
Abbott and Johnston2 in the first article to appear on the use of intubation of the small bowel in obstruction, emphasized that "the ideal tube should have two lumina, one very large for the aspiration of intestinal content and one very small for the introduction of air into the balloon." Other criteria for the ideal intestinal tube are that