Diseases of the
Gastrointestinal Tract
(Script No. 5)

Common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are shown. Examples are:

• Esophagus with a part of a dental prothesis swallowed by a 36 year old man dated 1929.
• Ventricular ulcer dated 1919.
• Gastric polyposis of a 27 year old man dated 1916.
• Retroperitoneal hernia, a hernia within the intestines, exhibited as dry preparation, dated 1867. You can see the ruptured colon.
• Meckel's diverticulum: A diverticulum is a transscribed, sac-shaped eversion of the intestinal wall. This may also cause an inflammation of the respective intestinal part. Meckel, an anatomist and surgeon from Halle, described the Meckel's diverticulum as persisting omphalomesenteric duct.
• Invagination of the ileum: an invagination of a part of the ileum in itself.
• Typhoid fever in various states.
• Yellow cross preparations: Yellow cross is a notorious chemical warfare agent from the 1st world war, which can highly damage skin and mucous membranes.
• A chololithic appendic stone of a 78 year old woman.
• Colostomy care: The exhibition of gastrointestinal preparations also includes a show case about the care for colostomy. Patients with an artificial anus in the area of the abdominal wall, hereditary or resulting from surgery, have to be cared for appropriately. The show case shows means how such an artificial anus is cared for.

At the left hand side of the window you can see a convolution of horsehair and strings and other materials found in the stomach of a psychiatric patient. Hair cannot be digested, they stay in the stomach unless they are discharged. This patient ate everything near, thus also the contents of his mattress.