Olive oil is not uncommonly used in hypersecretory gastric disorders. Most textbooks mention olive oil and infer that its administration lessens the secretion and delays gastric evacuation. References, however, as to proof of its action are few.

Cowie and Munson,1 in 1908, made an extensive and convincing report on its action. Pawlow, working on dogs, first found that olive oil did not stimulate gastric secretion but actually delayed it. Similarly, on man after the ordinary testmeal extracted at one hour, and after meals with portions extracted at frequent intervals it has been found that olive oil and cotton seed oil when given before meals lessened acidity, delayed the height of secretion and retarded evacuation, while when given after meals it only delayed the height of secretion. These investigators believed its action to be due to coating both the food and mucous membrane, thereby lessening the usual reflex local action of