The term "acute obstruction of the bowel," broadly used, embraces all of those conditions, however varying in their etiology and pathology, which suddenly obstruct the lumen of the intestine to the extent of interfering with the passage of its contents. It is well known that the intestine may be obstructed by omental bands, fibrousbands, the result of peritoneal adhesions, as in appendicitis or peritonitis (ante et post operationem), by Meckel's and other diverticula, or at the neck of an internal or external hernia; that it may become kinked or twisted as in volvulus; that one segment of the intestine may become telescoped into a neighboring segment, as in intussusception; that the lumen of the intestinemay be obstructed by gallstones, enteroliths, foreign bodies or its own normal contents; that it may be narrowed by pressure of tumors from without; that its lumen may be narrowed by benign or malignant strictures, or