more apt to be concentric as
approached from below because there has been no distortion by pressure
dilatation due to stagnation of the food operating through a long
period of time. At retrograde esophagoscopy there seems to be no
abdominal esophagus and no cardia. The esophagoscope encounters only
the diaphragmatic pinchcock which seems to be at the top of the
stomach like the puckering string at the top of a bag.

Retrograde esophagoscopy is sometimes useful for "stringing" the
esophagus in cases in which the patient is unable to swallow a string
because he is too young or because of an epithelial scaling over of
the upper entrance of the stricture. In such cases the smallest size
of the author's filiform bougies (Fig. 40) is inserted through the
retrograde esophagoscope (Fig. 43) and insinuated upward through the
stricture. When the tip reaches the pharynx coughing, choking and
gagging are noticed. The filiform end is brought out the mouth
sufficiently far to attach a silk braided cord which is then pulled
down and out of the gastrostomic opening. The braided silk "string"
must be long enough so that the oral and the abdominal ends can be
tied together to make it "endless;" but before doing so the oral end
should be drawn through nose where it will be less annoying than in
the mouth. The purpose of the "string" is to pull up the retrograde
bougies (Fig. 35)

[117] CHAPTER XI--ACQUIRING SKILL

Endoscopic ability cannot be bought with the instruments. As with all
mechanical procedures, facility can be obtained only by educating the
eye and the fingers in repeated exercise of a particular series of
maneuvers. As with learning to play a musical instrument, a
fundamental knowledge of technic, positions, and landmarks is
necessary, after which only continued manual practice makes for
proficiency. For instance, efficient use of forceps requires that they
be so familiar to the grasp that their use is automatic. Endoscopy is
a purely manual procedure, hence to know how is not enough: manual
practice is necessary. Even in the handling of the electrical
equipment, practice in quickly locating trouble is as essential as
theoretic knowledge. There is no mystery about electric lighting. No
source of illumination other than electricity is possible for
endoscopy. Therefore a small amount of electrical knowledge, rendered
practical by practice, is essential to maintain the simple lighting
system in working order. It is an ins