Two other movements have been observed in the ascending colon, but
they are rare appearances. The first of these was a serial sectioning
of the contents noticed in an animal given castor oil with the food.
A constriction separated a small segment in the cæcum; another
constriction then cut off a segment just above the first, and with the
disappearance of the first constriction the two separated segments
united. A third segmentation took place above the second, and the
changes occurred again. Thus the whole mass was sectioned from one
end to the other; and no sooner was that finished than the process
began again and was repeated several times. A slight modification of
this movement was observed in a colon containing very little food. The
mass was pressed and partially segmented in the manner characteristic
of the small intestine, and was thus again and again spread along
the ascending colon, and each time swept back into a rounded form
by antiperistalsis. The second of the two movements mentioned above
consisted in a gentle kneading of the contents. This was caused by
broad constrictions appearing, relaxing, appearing, relaxing, over
and over again, in the same place. When several of these regions were
active at the same time, they gave the food in the colon the appearance
of a restless undulatory mass. Once a constriction occurred and
remained permanently in one place, while the bulging parts on either
side of it pulsated alternately, at the rate of about eighteen times
in a minute, with the regularity of the heart-beat. Although these
phenomena are somewhat striking, they are not usual, and are in no way
so important as the antiperistalsis.
_The changes when food enters the colon._--The passage of food through
the ileocæcal valve seems to stimulate the colon to activity. As food
is nearing the ileocæcal valve the large intestine is usually quiet and
relaxed (Fig. 6, 4.00), though occasionally indefinite movements are
to be observed; and sometimes just before the food reaches the end of
the ileum the circular fibres of the colon in the region of the valve
contract strongly, so that a deep indentation is present there. The
indentation may persist several minutes; it disappears as the muscles
relax just previous to the entrance of the food. The food is moved
slowly along the ileum and is pushed through the valve into the colon.
The moment it has entered a strong contraction takes place all along
the cæcum and the beginning of the ascending colon, pressing some of
the food onward, and a moment later deep antiperistaltic waves (Fig. 6,
4.03) sweep down from the transverse colon and continue running until
the cæcum is again normally full, _i. e._, for two or three minutes.
[Illustration:
FIGURE 6.--Tracings showing changes when food enters the colon and
also the first tonic constriction. 4.00, the colon relaxed as food
approaches in the ileum. 4.03, the colon contracted and traversed by
antiperistaltic waves after the food has entered.]
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