Gastro-intestinal studies

Conclusions

It would seem that the volume of gastric juice secreted after histamine stimulation by a patient having pernicious anemia is influenced by the general condition of the patient, the red blood cell level, the extent of central nervous system involvement, and the type of therapy the patient has received. Although there seemed to be no direct relationship between the volume of gastric juice and the red blood cell level at the time of relapse, the patients with lower red blood cell counts tended to have smaller volumes of gastric juice. The age of the patient appeared to have a more definite relationship to the volume of gastric juice, there being a progressive decrease in average secretion with increase in age. The patients having signs and symptoms of more advanced central nervous system involvement had a slightly lower average volume of gastric juice than did the patients having only minor involvement. The patients in relapse had distinctly lower 60-minute volumes than those patients under treatment. In addition, the type of therapy influenced the volume of gastric juice. In all the age groups the average secretions of the patients receiving liver extract by injection were higher than those of the patients receiving only oral therapy.