Studies on the Temperature of the Gastrointestinal Tract

First Report: Intra-gastric and -esophageal Temperatures of Healthy Adults

Abstract

I have described a precise method to measure the intra-gastric and -esophageal temperatures, and by this thermometer the intra-gastric and -esophageal temperatures on 180 healthy adults were simultaneously measured with the axillary. From the obtained results the following facts were confirmed.
1. The intra-gastric, -esophageal and axillary temperatures exhibit normal distribution.
2. The three temperatures have mutually distinct differences. The intragastric was 0.2-0.6°C higher than the intraesophageal and the latter was 0.3-1.0°C higher than the axillary.
3. Among the three temperatures there are mutually positive cor-relations; a strong one between the intragastric and -esophageal, and moderate ones between the axillary and the remaining two.
4. The intra-gastric and -esophageal temperatures were higher in 'women than men by 0.2-0.4°C, but in the axillary, the difference. between them was not significant.
5. In the three temperatures there are diurnal variances; being 0.1-0.4°C higher before lunch than breakfast, and 0.2-0.4°C higher before dinner than lunch. The temperature gradient of the three temperatures also vary in the course of a day.
6. The intra-gastric and -esophageal temperatures were independent on the room temperature but the axillary was 0.2-0.3°C higher in the room temperature of 21-26°C than in one of 10-20°C.
7. The intra-gastric and -esophageal temperatures have no correlation with the room temperature, but the axillary showed a weak positive correlation with it.
8. In the same mark the three, temperatures each, vary by. about 1°C from one day to another and the individual variation is most easily observed in the axillary.