INHIBITORY INFLUENCE OF FAT. 105 



In view of the great importance of the inhibitory influence of fat, 

 we took the greatest pains (Dr. Lobassqff") to vai'y the experiment in 

 every conceivable way. On a gastro- and oesophngotouiised dog a sham 

 feeding of short duration (one minute) was carried out. The time at 

 which the secretion commenced, the quantity, and the properties of the 

 juice were accurately determined. Then 50 c.c. to 100 c.c. of oil were 

 poured into the stomach of the same dog, and after a quarter to half an 

 hour, or in some cases still later, the sham feeding was repeated precisely 

 as before, both with regard to duration of the feeding and to the quantity 

 of food. Occasionally we allowed the oil to flow out of the stomach 

 immediately before the sham feeding. The secretion of juice in these 

 cases was observed by means of a wide glass tube closed at its outer 

 end, which we fixed into the fistula- tube. The specifically heavier juice 

 thus collected at the bottom of the tube and was at once visible. In 

 every case, without exception, a marked diminution of the psychic 

 secretion was observed. Often there was none, and when it was 

 present it began much later, the quantity was much less and the juice 

 also much weaker. The experiment on the dog with isolated stomach 

 and divided oesophagus was particularly convincing. 

 The sham feeding in this case lasted six minutes. 



Hour. Quantity of juice. Digestive power. 



1st . . . 4-0 c.c. ... "j 



2nd . . 1-0 ... 4-75 mm. 



3rd 0-5 , 



One hundred c.c. olive oil were then poured into the stomach. 

 After thirty minutes there was another sham feeding for six minutes. 

 During the course of two hours nothing was secreted by the cul-de-sac. 

 Once more a sham feeding for six minutes was made. During the 

 course of an hour 1*8 c.c. of juice, with a digestive power of 4v> mm., 

 were collected. 



It is of great interest to note that a prolonged sham feeding is 

 able to overcome the inhibitory effect of the fat. 



When the influence of such a powerful excitant as the psychic 

 impulse can be diminished by fat, how much more must this hold good 

 for the stimuli, which act directly on the mucous membrane of the 

 stomach ? Whether the covering of the mucous membrane with a 

 layer of fat contributes in any way to the diminution of the secretion 

 cannot be answered with certainty from the material to hand. 



The action of fat, which we have just discussed, may possibly explain 

 the slow progress of the secretion after the taking of milk, and also the 

 low digestive power of the juice. Is the fat of the milk not to be 

 credited with this ? We hoped to ha.ve solved this problem by the 

 administration of cream to our dogs that is to say, milk with an 



