THE PATHOLOGIC CHANGES IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT IN PERNICIOUS ANEMIA AND SO-CALLED INTESTINAL ATROPHY.

Faber and Bloch¹ describe four cases of typical pernicious anemia. A complete ora considerable diminution in the gastric functions was observed, chymifaction was feeble, there was no free hydrochloric acid, and the total acidity was much reduced in three of the patients. In two the microscopic examination of the stomach showed a chronic inflammatory process of varying intensity, most marked near the cardiac end and diminishing toward the pylorus, the duodenum being normal. The process is best described as a progressive, atrophic, interstitial gastritis. As regards the atrophic changes in the intestines, on which there has been laid so much stress, some even going so far as to attribute the origin of pernicious anemia to them, Faber and Bloch find themselves constrained to assume a decidedly critical attitude. In the first case the intestinal changes appeared to correspond closely to those described as atrophic, but it seems that part