EFFECT OF BILATERAL RESECTION OF THE SPLANCHNIC NERVES ON GASTRIC MOTILITY IN MAN

During the past fifteen years numerous attempts have been made to correct certain abnormal physiologic states by the surgical interruption of various nervous pathways. Among these operative procedures, unilateral and bilateral resections of the splanchnic nerves have been frequently employed. In 1921 Jean 1 performed resection of the splanchnic nerves for the relief of pyloric spasm, hyperacidity and gastric hypersecretion. Danielopolu 2 recommended the same procedure for the management of hypertension. For a few years resection of the left splanchnic nerves was considered adequate for the production of clinical relief in arterial hypertension. Craig and Brown 3 performed unilateral and bilateral resection of the major and minor splanchnic nerves for the relief of essential hypertension in young persons and concluded that it was a justifiable procedure in the early stages of the severe progressive form. The interruption of other nervous pathways 4 has been attempted for the control of this