The older methods of making a stomach fistula for feeding, in case of impassable stricture of the esophagus, seldom proves satisfactory. Food is easily introduced and digested, but can not be forced through the pylorus into the intestine, because at every contraction of the stomach for that purpose most of the contents are forced out through the fistula. Thus the food is lost, and many of the patients die of starvation. A mechanical rubber valve which we invented in one case partly overcame the difficulty, but did not permanently save the patient,
Wetzel devised the following method: A small opening being made into the stomach, a rubber tube was inserted, and the outer portion of the tube laid along the external surface of the viscus, the stomach wall was folded over it for one and one-half inches and fastened with Lembert stitches, taking up only the peritoneal and muscular coats.