The pathogenesis of achalasia has not yet been entirely clarified. Several investigators have reported data suggesting certain lesions in the central nervous system in association with achalasia. The present study was undertaken in attempt to find relationship between the central nervous system and the esophageal movement.
One or two stimulating electrodes were implanted in and around the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus in 22 adult cats. Eight cats died shortly after implantation. In the remaining 14 cats with 25 electrodes, simultaneous recordings of intraluminal pressure and elctromyogram were carried out at three different levels of the esophagus upon electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus in the unrestrained and unanesthetized condition. The position of electrode tip was identified with serial sections after completion of each experiment. The responses were classi fied into (1) (+) when contractions were observed in the intraluminal pressure tracing and electromyogram either simultaneously or in an orderly fashion at these three levels of the esophagus, which occurred with 3 electrodes; (2) (±) when the responses were equivocal, which occurred with 4 electrodes; and (3) (-) when no responses were observed, which occurred with 18 electrodes.
The tips of the three electrodes showing the (+) response were found to be in the center, the inferiomedial portion, and the inferior portion of the ventromedial nucleus of the hoypthalamus respectively. The tips of the electrodes which did not show the (+) response were not located within this nucleus.±These results indicate that the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus is one of the centers for the esophageal movement.

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DD-234 (Methylscopolammonium methylsulfate), a new synthetic antispasmodic agent was evaluated of its clinical efficacy. It proved to be a fast-acting antispasmodic to reduce the secretion of human gastric juice and acid enhanced by stimulation with Histalog, and to exhibit its efficacy upon the colonic electro-myogram as well as intracolonic pressure curve by reducing the electric and motor activities of the intestinal tract. Evaluation of efficacy of DD-234 orally administered to patients with abdominal pain was made on double blind test basis, wherein a trend was observed that this drug mainly acts effectively upon abdominal pain derived from peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis and other gastrointestinal diseases and that its two times higher dose than ordinary use reduces the frequency of serious diarrhea.
Judging from the above observatioas, DD-234 may be evaluated to be useful for clinical use as a new antispasmodic.

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1) The experiments were performed to study the relationship between frequency gradient and the myenteric nervous activity.
2) The segments of upper jejunum andlower ileum of decerebrated dogs anesthetized with chloralose were perfused under a constant pressure between 3 to 16 cmH₂O. The rhythmic contraction of the segments were recorded by means of strain-gauge pressure transducer.
3) The mean frequencies of rhythmic contractions ranged, between dogs, from 11.5 to 17.3 cycles/min in jejunal segment and from 8.0 to 13.5 cycles/min in ideal segment, and so definite frequency difference between them was evident in the same specimen.
4) The frequencies of contractions of jejunal and ileal segments were uninfluenced by the section of cervical vagi or thoracic splanchnic nerves. They were markedly reduced after administration of procaine or hexamethonium bromide. With or without pretreatment of tetrodotoxin they were increased by administering carbamylcholine, while those activated with morphine were reduced by application of atropine or tetrodotoxin. In all of the cases mentioned above, the frequency gradient was still evident.
5) It may be concluded that the function concerned with the frequency gradient is the muscle responsibility to the intrinsic nervous influences and that the frequency of contractions in each segment is largely corresponded to the intrinsic nervous activity.

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