The structural organization of intestinal blood flow is such as to allow for intramural collateral flow. Redistribution phenomena due to different local metabolic demands may lead to an impaired perfusion of parts of the intestinal wall which will display a characteristic pattern. Based on Ohm's and Kirchhoff's laws, a differential analysis of the gastric vascular bed bridges the gap between basic physiological concepts and traditional anatomical, pathological and clinical knowledge. An ulcer of the intestinal wall becomes understandable as a non-occlusive infarct based on a supply/demand conflict in an anisotropic structure as it can be found in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract of man.