Intestinal obstruction may be due to intussusception, stricture, tumors, or foreign body. Naturally, where the obstruction seems to be complete, the case is a very serious and urgent one, and the best preliminary procedure, so far as diet is concerned, is to stop all ingestion of foods until the physicians and surgeons have decided as to the procedure. If it is decided to operate at once, the usual diet for laparotomy cases will be adopted. If the obstruction is not complete, especially if no surgical interference is decided upon, the diet should be reduced to the lowest terms compatible with proper nutrition of the patient, and the same diet should be used as in stricture or other partial obstruction of the pylorus - namely, condensed diet with all foods reduced to liquid before they are swallowed, being either liquid in their preparation or reduced to liquid by mastication. The same care should be observed that no indigestible masses of food, such as bone, gristle, etc., gain entrance to the alimentary canal. Food thus carefully selected will be largely absorbed before it reaches the obstruction. The remaining small portion of unabsorbed material will gradually make its way past the obstruction a few drops at a time. Naturally, the amount of material accumulated in the large intestine and rectum will be very small, and there is likely to be a little disturbance of the regularity of bowel passages. If this is the case, the colon should be flushed as frequently as once in forty-eight hours in order that there will be no accumulated waste materials there to be reabsorbed.