Surgery of the esophagus is of interest if for no other reason than that in spite of the time, energy and ingenuity expended on perfection of the technic it still remains largely an unconquered field. This is evidenced by the appalling mortality attending the more radical operations on this structure. As the literature on the development of esophageal surgery has been reviewed elsewhere,1 little will be said concerning it here, only the experimental problems pertinent to the subject being discussed. A combination of several circumstances adds to the difficulties of operation on the esophagus, and often it is accompanied by grave risk. The most significant of the factors which make the problems in operations on the esophagus somewhat different from those in surgical procedures on other parts of the gastro-intestinal tract are: (1) anatomic situation; (2) lack of a true serosa; (3) poor blood supply; (4) physical environment, with