Stripped of its minor details, the routine examination at the Mayo Clinic for all gastric and duodenal lesions comprises two principal features: a bariumized carbohydrate meal to test motility, and a screen examination six hours later, at which time an aqueous suspension of barium is given.
The motor test-meal consists of 2 ounces (62 gm.) of barium sulphate in an equal portion of well cooked cereal, and is given in lieu of breakfast. A retention from this meal after six hours, if no food has been taken meanwhile, is of importance for three reasons: (1) It is strongly indicative of an organic lesion of the stomach or duodenum; (2) in conjunction with certain other phenomena, to be mentioned later, it is diagnostic of duodenal ulcer, and (3) the presence of gastric retention has an important bearing on treatment.
At the fluoroscopic examination, the patient drinks a mixture of 4 ounces