A new method of objective examination in proctology.

The preparation and use of moulds and casts from cavities and organs has already been applied in several medical disciplines. It is a current method in stomatology in order to obtain an exact reproduction of the oral cavity for preparing dental prostheses. Plastic casts obtained from the filling of vessels, ducts, and cavities are of great interest for the anatomical knowledge of organs (Van der Schueren, 1959). A clinical application of a similar method, using silicone foam, has been published for the diagnosis of lesions of the sigmoid colon (Cook and Margulis, 1962; 1963). An analogous method for examining the anal canal and its function has been elaborated here.