Abstract
During last 4 years (1968 to 1971), 37 cases of foreign bodies in the oesophagus were treated in the author's clinic. As for the kind of the foreign bodies, 15 cases were of coins, 8 cases of chicken bone, another 7 cases of fish bone, etc. In these cases those of an opener (attached to a milk can) and a nursing-bottle lid were described as comparatively rare cases. In Japan coin cases have been found much more frequent than those in Europe and U. S. A. This may be referred to the size of Japanese coins. They are 20mm 24mm in diameter, which is the fittest size to stay in the infant's esophagus, while those of Europe and U. S. A. are smaller or larger. The reason why, compared with the past, the author have recently had so many chicken bone cases was suspected to have some relation with the rapid increase of the consumption of chicken.
