(1974). Archives of Disease in Childhood, 49, 796. Neonatal secretion of gastrin and glucagon. Plasma gastrin and glucagon levels were estimated in mothers after labour, and in their babies at birth and on the fourth day of life. The newly born baby appears to secrete gastrin independently and the plasma levels are higher on the fourth day of life. The cord gastrin level is lower when labour is induced or augmented by the intravenous infusion of oxytocin. Our results do not exlude the possibility that gastrin is transferred from mother to baby during a spontaneous labour. Such a maternal component of cord gastrin may be responsible for neonatal gastric hyperacidity.The mean cord glucagon level is higher than the maternal level at birth and the fourth day level is higher than the cord level. The C-terminal reactive glucagon-like inmmunoreactivity (C-GLI) in the cord blood is lower when oxytocin has been used during labour. Maternal or placental transfer of C-GLI during labour to the spontaneously born baby is one possible explanation of this finding.The raised glucagon levels on the fourth day may explain why there is low gastric acidity at this time despite the gastrin level being higher than at birth. No relation could be deduced between the C-GLI, i.e. pancreatic glucagon level, and the blood glucose level either at birth or on the fourth day of life.

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The IT method is suitable for measurement of equine TAC. TAC is lower in ponies with previous or future laminitis. The ELISA methods are not suitable for measurement of equine HMWAC or TAC.

A theory is advanced about the cause of pyloric stenosis of infancy (PS). Developmental changes will conspire to produce pathogenetic gastric hyperacidity within the first 4 weeks of life in babies who develop PS. The prime cause will be an increased gastric acidity due to a genetically determined supernormal parietal cell mass. This theory satisfactorily explains many known clinical features.

No abstract

SUMMARY The fasting serum cholecystokinin-like activity was measured in 21 infants with pyloric stenosis and in 13 normal controls. No significant difference was found between the two groups. The basal acid secretion was measured by continuously aspirating the previously emptied stomach for one hour. The basal gastric volume and the total and the free acidity were all greater in the pyloric group.

Seventeen cases of radiologically negative gallbladder disease are presented. In all it was possible to explain the symptoms on the basis of the 'disappearing stone' hypothesis. It is suggested that cholecystectomy should be advised in such patients provided that the symptoms are sufficiently characteristic and sufficiently severe.

SummaryComplete knee dislocation is a rare injury and an associated incidence of popliteal artery damage ranges from 16-60% of cases. It occurs commonly in road traYc accidents and in high velocity trauma where significant contact remains as the usual mode of injury. We describe a rare case of non-contact knee dislocation with popliteal artery injury sustained while practising Aikido, a type of martial art. This patient successfully underwent closed reduction of the knee with an emergency vein bypass graft. Similar injury in association with Aikido has not been described in the English literature previously. Various martial art injuries are briefly discussed and safety recommendations made.