There is a record in this country of a woman of forty-five who discharged 44 inches of intestine, and who survived for forty-two days.

The autopsy showed the sigmoid flexure gone, and from the caput ceci to the termination the colon only measured 14 inches.

Vater gives a history of a penetrating abdominal wound in which a portion of the colon hung from the wound during fourteen years, forming an artificial anus.
Among others mentioning considerable sloughing of intestine following intussusception, and usually with complete subsequent recovery, are Bare, 13 inches of the ileum; Blackton, nine inches; Bower, 14 inches; Dawson, 29 inches; Sheldon, 4 1/2 feet; Stanley, three feet; Tremaine, 17 inches; and Grossoli, 40 cm.
Rupture of the Intestines .-- It is quite possible for the intestine to be ruptured by external violence, and cases of rupture of all parts of the bowel have been recorded.

Titorier gives the history of a case in which the colon was completely separated from the rectum by external violence.

Hinder reports the rupture of the duodenum by a violent kick.
Eccles, Ely, and Pollock also mention cases of rupture of the duodenum.
Zimmerman, Atwell, and Allan report cases of rupture of the colon.
Operations upon the gastrointestinal tract have been so improved in the modern era of antisepsis that at the present day they are quite common.
There are so many successful cases on record that the whole subject deserves mention here.
Gastrostomy is an operation for establishing a fistulous opening in the stomach through the anterior wall.