336 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [May, 



made to seek out this agency further than to ascribe it to the epithelial 

 cells (see Moore's review of the subject in Schiifer's Text-hook of 

 Physiology, Vol. I, p. 452). 



Recently, however, Kastle and Loeveuhart (36) have shown that 

 the ferment lipase extracted from the pancreas of the hog has the 

 power of bringing about the synthesis of ethel-butyrate from ethyl- 

 alcohol and butyric acid — a reaction evidently equivalent to the 

 symthesis of palmatin or stearin from glycerine and palmitic acid or 

 stearic acid. 



In considering the fate of albumose in digestion of proteids (see 

 p. 317), I have ventured to ascribe a ferment nature to certain gran- 

 ules derived from the nucleus. It may be conjectured that some of 

 these granules represent a ferment which has a fat-synthesizing 

 action. 



Prof. ^Nloore, in Schiifer's Text-book (Vol. I, p. 457), says it is 

 agreed by all authors that " fat passes from the epithelium .... 

 in the form of an emulsion," and my acquaintance with the litera- 

 ture confirms this statement. I have found nowhere any intimation 

 that the fat does not pass out of the cells as such. Even Levin (37), 

 who maintains that the water-soluble products of fat digestion in the 

 dog are taken up liy the lymph cells only, and are by them conveyed 

 directly to the lacteals, while the epithelial cells are stimulated by the 

 bile and pancreatic juice to take up the fat itself, leaves the infer- 

 ence that the fat reaches the lacteal in the form of an emulsion. 

 The evidence for this very general opinion is plainly that fat is always 

 found in the form of globules on the way from cell to lacteal, either 

 in the parenchyma cells of the villus or in the lymph cells. Hei- 

 denhain, Schiifer (38), Levin and many others have figured fat in 

 transit in this form, and the very name of the vessel which receives 

 the fat is witness to the multitudinous observations that the fat 

 reaches it in the form of tiny globules or an emulsion. 



Does it, however, follow that because the fat reaches the lacteal 

 as an emulsion or is found on its way thereto in this form, that it 

 therefore leaves the cell as such ? Does not the very physiological 

 reason for the spliuing of fats into fafty acids and gh'cerine pre- 

 clude the possibiliiy of its passage through the basement membrane, 

 uuicfS we assume with Briicke (31)) that there are discrete channels 

 for the passage of the food to the lacteal ? If it is true, as ]\Ioore inti- 

 mates, that fat leaves the cell as such, then it ought to be preserved 



