When the surgeon has exposed the stomach of a patient suspected of harboring a cancer, peptic ulcer, or some other lesion, with or without a history of hemorrhage, and finds no such lesion, what is the best course for him to pursue? Most surgeons will find themselves in just such a dilemma from time to time. Occasionally it is discovered that the lesion at hand is severe chronic gastritis, which has led the internist, the roentgenologist, and occasionally the endoscopist to make an erroneous diagnosis. Ordinarily, one thinks of gastritis as being entirely a medical problem. When it can be proved that the patient has only chronic gastritis, the surgeon usually avoids surgical intervention, for he has surmised that the results from his efforts will probably be anything but satisfactory. The internist is left with a problem which often proves none too happy from his standpoint, either, and after variable