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later (ef. page 293), have decisively proved that the large intestine 
does really possess the power of resorbing fat. 
It was remarkable that the piece b, on being opened, proved tu 
be nearly empty, and that big drops of fat clung to the mucous 
membrane. This gave rise to the suggestion that the Nag CO; solu- 
tion had probably been rapidly resorbed and the emulsion thus 
destroyed; the fat had got into a condition in which it could not 
be absorbed at all, or but very slightly. 
This agrees with the views of Munk and ROSENSTEIN, viz., that 
of an emulsion of 15 gr. lipanine in a NaCl solution of 0.4 pCt., 
in 73—9 hours, 0.55 gr. of fat issues from the chyle fistula, but 
that the quantity amounted to 1.1, that is to say about double 
as much, when emulgent fluid Nay CO; was used. Now it is known 
that with a Na, CO; solution fat remains suspended much longer 
than with a NaCl solution. It appeared then that on using NagCO, 
the lipanine remained longer in an emulgent state in the intestine 
than on the application of Na Cl. 
Having obtained this result, which was confirmed by further 
experiments, we thought it of importance to employ, instead of the 
Nas CO; solution, a fluid in which the emulsion would remain still 
longer existing in the intestine. It had therefore, to be a fluid 
of great emulgent power and moreover not rapidly absorbed in the 
wall of the intestine. For years clysmata of the yolks of eggs, of 
crcam, and of milk have been used for these purposes. As these are 
compound mixtures these forms of emulsion seemed to me less fit; 
it is especially the albuminous investment of the fatglobules by which 
new factors are introduced into the problem of the resorption of fat. 
Besides DrUCHER and PLANTENGA had already shown that the 
quantity of fat which a man resorbs from such emulsions amounts 
but to about 10 gr. per 24 hours. 
It now occurred to me to try a fluid which also in the small 
intestine exercises an important influence on the physiological emul- 
gent, viz. a solution of soap. 
After a preliminary experiment had shown that in a solution of sapo 
medicatus, the lipanine forms an emulsion which remains long in 
the intestine, and from which in the long run much fat is resorbed, 
we wished to determine the influence of soap on the large intestine. 
Such a research in itself seemed to us not destitute of importance, 
as under normal circumstances no inconsiderable quantities of soap 
occur in the contents of the large intestine and we are unacquainted 
with its functions in this part of the tractus intestinalis. 
