Fehldiagnosen und Fehlbehandlung sowie deren Verhütung auf dem Gebiete der Verdauungskrankheiten.

This little volume, based on an extensive experience in the field of gastro-enterology, discusses in a concise form the more common errors in the diagnosis and treatment of disease of the gastro-intestinal tract. The author stresses the fact that so-called functional disease is usually an early or incomplete symptom complex of carcinoma, ulcer, cholecystitis or other organic disturbance. He warns against the frequent diagnosis of "nervous stomach" and advises more careful study in order to find organic disease in the gastro-intestinal tract or abnormal conditions elsewhere in the body. The use of forcible mechanical dilation by sounds in carcinoma of the esophagus is justly condemned as dangerous and useless. The greater value of the test for hematoporphyrin as compared with thetest for occult blood in the stools is discussed. The author believes that better results could be obtained in the medical treatment of peptic ulcer if the management were begun