SUMMARY Forty seven healthy young volunteers underwent defecographic examination to determine the range of normal findings. Normality was shown to encompass radiological features often considered pathological. These features included broad ranges of anorectal angle and pelvic floor descent which overlap with reported pathological states. Furthermore, the formation of rectocoeles during defecation was a very common finding in women. Finally, a subgroup of the volunteers had marginal anorectal function. The marginal anorectal function and certain radiological findings such as rectocoeles or intussusceptions may predispose to later problems, or contribute to clinical problems when combined with other factors such as dietary fibre deficiency. The radiological findings raise a number of questions with respect to different aspects of the functioning of the continence and defecation mechanisms.There has recently been increased interest in the investigation of problems of defecation and pelvic floor dysfunction using defecography (evacuation proctography). This procedure was first described by Burhenne in 1964' and April, 1986. Volunteers were recruited from the student population of the University of Toronto through advertisement at the Student Placement Offices. The recruiting advertisements explained only that the study was gastroenterological in nature and respondents were fully briefed when they applied. The respondents were excluded from the study if older than 35 years of age or there was a history of faecal incontinence, difficulties in defecation or past history of anorectal surgery. Forty eight subjects completed the study (23 women, 21 (1.6) (SD) yr; 25 men, 26 (4-8) yr). All the women were nulliparous.All subjects completed detailed questionnaires related to gastrointestinal and somatic symptoms, health habits and beliefs, affective status, and cognitive function. These details are not reported in this paper except as relates to the subjective report of bowel function.

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Our low-dose CT protocol is superior to IVU and clinically adequate for diagnosis of renal colic.

The relation between pyloric motor activity, opening, and closure was examined in eight healthy men. Manometry was performed with an assembly combining 13