THE OTTAWA f(ATURALIST 



Vol. XV. OTTAWA, SEPTEMBER, 1901. No. 6. 



FAT IN THE ANIMAL BODY, ITS FUNCTIONS AND 



ORIGIN. 



Bv A. T. Charron, B. A. 



(Read March 12th, 1901.) 



This evening I would invite your attention for a few moments 

 to the discussion of a subject that Hes on the borderland between 

 chemistry and physiology. We are to consider the nature of fat 

 as revealed by chemistry, its origin and the role that it plays in 

 the animal economy. 



What does the word fat convey to your mind ? Have you 

 ever thoughtfully asked yourself what fat really is ? Ladies handle 

 it every day, men are very often annoyed at the stains it leaves on 

 their clothing as evident proofs of their carelessness, and yet very 

 few enquire into the very nature of that most common substance. 



If I were to ask you, what is fat ? Some undoubtedly would 

 answer me with Webster that fat is "an oily substance," and if I 

 were to question you further and ask what is an oil, you would 

 again follow Webster and inform me that " an oil is an unctuous 

 substance expressed or drawn from various animal or vegetable 

 substances." Of course, I would have to be satisfied with this 

 definition, which is the only one given in the dictionary. 



A true student, anxious to understand the very nature of the 

 substance he has to deal with, is, however, not satisfied with such 

 an ambiguous empty definition. I am positive that the members 

 of this Club who are always so active in scrutinizing nature, are 

 not satisfied with such a hazy knowledge. Let us, therefore, try 

 to elucidate the question of the nature of fat. 



To a chemist a fat is a glyceride of a fatty acid. In the 

 formation of a fat two things therefore are necessary, namely, 

 glycerine and a fatty acid. The fatty acids are a series of acids 



