Intestinal stasis in relation to cancer etiology and prophylaxis / by William Seaman Bainbridge.

  • William Seaman Bainbridge
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Intestinal stasis in relation to cancer etiology and prophylaxis / by William Seaman Bainbridge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    them, leads naturally to an investigation of the conditions giving rise to intestinal stasis and its concomitant affections, and to the manner of dealing with these conditions. According to Lane’s theory, the weight of the abdominal viscera tends to cause, in the upright position, a ptosis of the heavier parts of the alimentary canal, notably, the stomach, when it is filled with food, and the large intestine, when it is loaded with feces. With the dropping of the viscera there is dragging upon the mesentery, re- sulting in the formation of thickened bands, sometimes referred to as “evolutionary ad- hesions,” the function of which seems to be to support the intestines and to prevent them from dropping downward. The un- equal strength of these bands in different parts leads to unequal support throughout, and as a consequence the bowel is held up firmly in some points and allowed to sag in others, the result being angulation or kink- ing at the point of support. The perfectly natural outcome of this condition of affairs is obstruction to the lu- men of the intestine at the point of the kink, with damming back of the contents, and general slowing of the drainage of the canal. Reabsorption and autointoxication are the inevitable results, leading, in Lane’s opin- ion, to a general lowering of the resistance of the body and the concomitant increase of susceptibility to various diseases, including cancer.
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