82 FORMATION OF DEFENSIVE FERMENTS 



out of harmony with the species, we rind in the plasma 

 an exceedingly high capacity for splitting fats. 



In the case of fats we meet with some difficulties 

 when we try to introduce, into the circulation, fats 

 that have not been modified so as to be in harmony 

 with the plasma. If they are injected subcutaneously 

 they remain at the point of injection for a long w r hile, 

 and are probably only transported further after the 

 actual splitting has begun. In cases of intravenous 

 injection one runs the risk of killing the animal, 

 owing: to fatty embolisms. The introduction, into 



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the blood, of a fat that is out of harmony with 

 the species could only be effected for the first time 

 .after an old experiment of J. Munk had been made 

 use of, namely, to gorge an animal with an excessive 

 quantity of fat, so that it may easily be demonstrated 

 in the tissues and, naturally, also in the blood. We 

 fed in this w r ay on large quantities of rapeseed oil 

 and mutton suet, and. then found in the plasma a 

 very strongly marked capacity for splitting fats. 

 We may mention here, also, that the same effects 

 may be produced, with proteins and peptones, and 

 also with carbohydrates, as in the case of paren- 

 teral injection, if an excess of these substances is 

 forced through the intestines bv flooding the intes- 



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tinal canal with the particular nutriment. We would 

 also emphasize the fact that a state of anaphylaxy 

 may be successfully set up by this means. If we 



