The effects of three variations in meal composition (a solid and a liquid meal consumed together, a liquid meal consumed alone, and a liquid meal consumed 90 min after a solid meal) on the rates and patterns of solid and liquid gastric emptying were examined in 13 volunteers. By including alcohol (0.5 g/kg body wt) in the liquid meal, the relationship between alcohol absorption and gastric emptying was also assessed. The lag phase and the initial emptying phase of the solid meal were prolonged (P less than 0.001) when the liquid meal was consumed with the solid meal, compared with when the liquid meal was consumed 90 min after the solid meal. In this latter situation, consumption of the liquid meal caused the cessation of emptying of solid food, and this second lag phase was followed by a slower (P less than 0.001) than initial emptying phase. Gastric emptying of the liquid meal was slower (P less than 0.005) when solid food was present and was slowest (P less than 0.05) when liquid was consumed 90 min after the solid meal. Alcohol absorption was fastest (P less than 0.05) when the liquid meal was consumed alone and slower (P less than 0.01) when alcohol was consumed with or after the solid meal. For all three meals there was a close correlation (r greater than or equal to 0.91; P less than 0.001) between alcohol absorption and liquid emptying. We conclude that gastric emptying of liquid may be influenced by solid food and that the rate and pattern of solid emptying may be modified by the presence of liquid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)