Factors influencing the healing rate of chronic gastric ulcer

A retrospective survey was made of 99 patients with benign gastric ulcer admitted to hospital for medical treatment over a 3 1/2-year period. Healing rate was measured by use of profile surface area, obtained by air contrast radiography of the stomach every 21 days. Ulcer size was found to be greater in those who smoked cigarettes or gave a history of ingestion of salicylate-containing preparations. Healing rate was accelerated by admission to hospital but was uninfluenced by age or sex of the patient, a positive family history of gastric ulcer, duration of ulcer symptoms prior to admission, number of recurrences, therapy with frequent doses of potent antacids, or cessation of smoking. At the extremes of ulcer size, large ulcers healed more slowly than small ulcers.This work was partially supported by the Australian Tobacco Research Foundation.     

Protective action of carbenoxolone on pickle-induced gastric injury in man

Further observations were made on a standard form of gastric mucosal injury produced by eating 30 ounces of gherkins pickled in vinegar over a 3-day period. The effect of pre-treatment with carbenoxolone on pickle-induced injury was assessed in 12 persons. The drug was given in a dose of 100 mg, three times a day, for 7 days before and during the 3-day period of pickle ingestion. Peroral suction biopsies of the antrum obtained after pickles alone were compared with those from the same person after carbenoxolone and pickles. After pre-treatment with the drug the biopsies appeared improved in 8 persons, the same in 2, and worse in one. One person failed to react to pickles with or without the drug. The results suggest that carbenoxolone partially protects against this type of mucosal injury.This study was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Biogastrone was kindly supplied by Dr. S. Gottfried of Biorex Laboratories Limited.     

The organization of the inferior alveolar nerve and its relation to local analgesia

An electrical stimulator was used to assess the onset of analgesia after inferior alveolar block injections. The findings were considered in relation to the anatomy of an inferior alveolar nerve, which was sectioned at three levels. It was found that lip and pulpal analgesia was achieved over a similar period, and the commonly held belief that lip anaesthesia occurs first is due to a lack of awareness of early pulpal sensory changes.     

The diameters and internodal lengths of the myelinated fibres in human inferior alveolar nerve

The diameter and internodal length of the fibres in the inferior alveolar nerve from a male cadaver were measured. The results were compared with other human and animal studies, and the possible changes in composition of the nerve following tooth loss were discussed. Clinical difficulties of local analgesia were related to the results.