For many years surgeons have hoped for a method of procedure, or a remedy, that would prevent the occurrence of adhesions in the peritoneal cavity. In the past some of the substances that have been used are petrolatum, iodine and petrolatum, and liquid petrolatum. This paper does not deal with the efficiency of those remedies, but it presents a report of interesting changes of an inflammatory nature that have occurred in the peritoneal cavities of two patients.
In August 1934 Mrs. G. W., aged 53, was undergoing an abdominal operation at Grady Hospital. The surgeon (T. C. D.) observed a quantity of peculiar chylus-like fluid in the peritoneal cavity. Likewise there was considerable fatty necrosis of the omentum. On several areas of the jejunum there were small, elevated, irregular in size, grayish white granular nodules, which tended to spread. When these nodulations were removed, they left a bleeding serosal surface.