Tubeless Gastric Analysis

Abstract

lished the results of their investigations of the hydrochloric acid content of the gastric juice by an original method which does not require the passing of a Ryle's stomach tube. This elegant technique depends upon the power of the hydrogen cation (H+) of the free hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice, at a pH of 3 or less, to displace the quininium cation (QH+) from a quininium- resin indicator compound; the quinine hydro- chloride now formed is rapidly absorbed from the small intestine and quinine is excreted in the urine where it appears within 15 minutes of the ingestion of the resin; the quinine is readily estimated quan- titatively in the urine by a simple method based on its fluorescence in ultra-violet light.