[Treatment of postoperatory ileus with several drugs]

An attempt was made to modify postoperative ileus in rats by using different drugs (propranolol, phentolamine, neostigmine and mepivacaine). The election of these drugs was based on their effect on the extrinsic innervation of the digestive tract. No statistically appreciable acceleration of the intestinal transit was found in any case, but we observed on radiography that the injection of mepivacaine accelerated gastric emptying.