The application of the cytologic method as an adjunct to the diagnosis of gastric malignancy has been handicapped by the fact that diagnostic material is often scanty and poorly preserved. Tomenius1 reported an elaborate procedure for securing better preservation of gastric cells. Papanicolaou and Cooper,2 Hollander, Hess and Sober,3 Ulfelder, Graham and Meigs,4 Richardson, Queen and Bishop5 and Botsford and Tucker6 reported various technics for improving the collection of gastric aspirates for diagnosis of cancer. Nevertheless, all reports showed that the clinical application was limited by frequently missed diagnoses. A review of the experience of this laboratory by Seybolt, Papanicolaou and Cooper7 revealed that about one third of the cases of gastric cancer were diagnosed by the routine aspirated specimens and that these results could be improved by means of careful gastric lavage. It was thought that mechanical irritation of the gastric mucosa