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Tests useful in the assessment of intestinal absorption include measurement of the amount of ingested d-xylose in the urine, fasting serum carotene concentration, and fecal fat. The present investigation examines certain aspects of these tests, including the interrelation among them, the relation between the clinical severity of a disease of malabsorption and the variation of each test, and the determination of the most efficient application of the tests as a group. Subjects and Methods Seventy-two-hour fecal fat excretion, 4hour excretion of d-xylose in the urine, and fasting serum carotene concentration were obtained at approximately the same time in each of 45 patients with functional diarrhea but without steatorrhea and in 33 patients with steatorrhea. Of the 33 pa­ tients with steatorrhea, 10 had nontropical sprue, 9 had exocrine pancreatic insufficiency resulting from pancreatitis, and 14 had had partial gastrectomy. Examples of uncom­ plicated mucosal block, enzyme deficiency, or altered gastric function were used be­ cause differences could be more easily ex­ plained in well delineated cases. Patients with functional diarrhea were considered as ideal controls since they represent the most common problem in differential diagnosis. A group of 9 patients with regional enteritis was included in our original data but is reported for the purpose of contrast only and not in the same detail as the groups already mentioned. The functional diagnosis was established in the usual manner. A diagnosis of non­ tropical sprue was made by history, physical

Summary Two cases of pyogenic abscess formation in the right lobe of the liver secondary to sigmoid diverticulitis are presented and discussed. The rarity of such a combination is pointed out.

Strain transducers were permanently implanted on the proximal and distal portions of the colon of each of 12 healthy female beagles. This allowed the in vivo measurements of isometric muscle contraction in the healthy dog. The responses of the longitudinal and circular muscles as well as the proximal and distal portions of the colon were compared. Morphine and bethanechol were the stimuli. Morphine did not change the motor activity or tension of the longitudinal muscle but did increase the motor activity and tension of the circular muscle. Bethanechol increased the motor activity and tension of both longitudinal and circular muscles. This was true of both proximal and distal colon. Bethanechol caused a greater motor response of the longitudinal muscle of the distal than of the proximal colon. Both drugs caused a greater increase in the tension of the circular muscle of the distal than of the proximal colon. The linear displacement and motility index methods were both used to measure motility, because it was not clear from the literature which was preferable. Both methods were equally sensitive to change in motility. The linear displacement method had a smaller coefficient of variation and for this reason was preferable. The findings raise some interesting possibilities for studies of propulsion in the colon.