Observations on gastric acid output by a three-hour histamine infusion test using maximal doses on patients with duodenal ulcer and in normal controls.

The results of a series of histamine infusion tests extended over a period of three hours in 100 patients with duodenal ulcer and in 30 normal controls showed that while in the former group acid secretion continued to rise hourly both quantitatively and qualitatively throughout each of the three-hour periods of the tests, this did not occur in the normal controls in whom acid secretion levelled off during the second hour. Assay of 30-minute aspirates in the duodenal ulcer group showed that the 90-120 minute specimen (doubled) gave a close approximation to the values obtained during the third hour and represents maximal acid secretion of the gastric mucosa.