96 DIGESTION AND RESORPTION 



(log n) is plotted as ordinate against the time as 

 abscissa. Probably the resorption goes on accord- 

 ing to the square-root rule. But the unresorbed 

 quantity follows the undigested quantity rather 

 closely, so that the difference — except for the shortest 

 time, 8 minutes, in which case it is 5 per cent — is 

 nearly constant, sinking from the value 16 per cent 



0L_ 







120 180 



Time in minutes — - 



Fig. 25. 



240 



at 15 minutes down to 11 per cent at 200 minutes. 

 Therefore even the unresorbed quantity nearly 

 follows the square-root rule, as is seen from the 

 upper curve in Fig. 25, in which its logarithm is 

 given as a function of the time of digestion. 



The square- root rule finds also its application 

 for the digestion of gliadin, a proteid contained in 

 gluten. This substance was used because its 

 quantity may be determined as glutaminic acid. 



