ABSORPTION OF THE DIGESTIVE CAVITY. 193 



the interval was 12 minutes ; when tea and bread and butter had been taken 

 one hour previously, the interval was 14 minutes; a similar meal having 

 been taken twenty-four minutes previously, the interval was 1(5 minutes; 

 when only two minutes had passed since the conclusion of such a meal, the 

 interval was 27 minutes; and when a solid meal had been concluded just 

 before the introduction of the salt, the interval was 39 minutes. These facts 

 are of great importance, in showing the very marked influence which the 

 state of the stomach exercises upon the absorption of matters introduced into 

 it. Not less important, however, is the state of the vascular xi/xfetn in regard 

 to turgescence or emptiness ; for it was found by Magendie, that when he had 

 injected a considerable quantity of water into the veins of a dog, poison was 

 absorbed very slowly ; whilst, if he relieved the distension by bleeding, there 

 was speedy evidence of its entrance into the circulation. The rapidity with 

 which not only aqueous but alcoholic liquids introduced into the stomach 

 may pass into the general circulation, has been shown by the experiments of 

 Dr. Percy; 1 who found that when strong alcohol was injected into the stom- 

 ach of dogs, the animals would sometimes fall insensible to the ground im- 

 mediately upon the completion of the injection, their respiratory and cardiac 

 movements ceasing within two minutes ; and that on post-mortem examina- 

 tion in such cases, the stomach was nearly empty, whilst the blood was highly 

 charged with alcohol ; thus rendering it almost certain, that not merely the 

 final destruction of nervous power, but the immediate loss of sensibility, was 

 due to the action of alcoholized blood upon the nervous centres. Finally, 

 numerous experiments have been made by various physiologists, which have 

 demonstrated that absorption of alimentary and other substances may take 

 place from the walls of the Stomach ; these substances having been prevented 

 from passing into the intestine by a ligature around the pylorus. Now, as 

 the Absorbent system does not present that peculiar arrangement in the 

 coats of the stomach which it does in those of the intestinal tube, there can 

 be little doubt that the introduction of such substances into the system must 

 be effected chiefly, if not entirely, through the medium of its sanguiferous 

 capillaries. 



137. That the Bloodvessels of the Intestinal tube largely participate in the 

 introduction of soluble alimentary matter into the system, has been clearly 

 proved by various observations upon the constitution of the blood of the 

 Mesenteric veins ; these having shown, that after the digestion of albuminous 

 and farinaceous or saccharine substances, albumiuose, dextrin, grape-sugar, 

 and lactic acid, are detectible in that fluid, whose usual composition is greatly 

 altered by the presence of these substances, as well as by the augmented pro- 

 portion of water which it contains. Moreover, it is asserted by Bruch, 2 that 

 so large a quantity of fat is absorbed into the bloodvessels, that the super- 

 ficial capillary network sometimes presents an opalescent whiteness. We 

 may consider the Sanguiferous vessels, then, as affording the usual channel 

 by which a large part of the nutritive materials are introduced into the 

 system ; but these are not allowed to pass into the general current of the 

 circulation, until they have been subjected to an important assimilating 

 process, which it appears to be one great office of the Liver to perform, 

 whereby they are rendered more fit for the purposes they are destined to 

 serve in the economy. Of this we shall have presently to speak. But the 

 absorbent power which the bloodvessels of the Alimentary canal possess, is 

 not limited to alimentary substances ; for it is through them almost ex- 

 clusively, that soluble matters of every other description are received into 



1 Experimental Inquiry concerning the Presence of Alcohol in the Ventricles of 

 the Brain, p. 01. 



2 Siebold and Kollikcr's Zeitschrift, April, 1853. 



