( 297 ) ‘ 
together, 0.714 er. and 0.697 er. respectively of fat were absorbed. 
Three more experiments yielded the same result. 
There can be no doubt, then, that the blood capillaries possess 
in a large measure the power of resorbing fat. 
This result agrees with that of Munx’s and RosENsTEIN’s expe- 
riments, which showed that only about 60 "/, of the fat resorbed 
flows out through the chyle vessels. 
With respect, now, to the experiments of other investigators who 
deny that the blood vessels have a direct share in the resorption, 
it seems to me, that considering the present state of our knowledge, 
those of ZAWILSKI are no longer conclusive. Of later years it 
has been shown that in the blood ferments occur (lipolytic ferment 
of CoHNSTEIN and MicHaéuis, lipase of Hanrior) which possess 
the power of converting fat. When ZAWILSKI finds that on the 
effluence of chyle the blood does not contain more fat than about 
what is found in a state of hunger, this does not exclude the 
absorption of fat through the blood capillaries; owing to the slow 
resorption the fat always undergoes, what had passed into the 
blood-circulation could be regularly analyzed. 
On the same grounds, comparative determinations in different 
sorts of blood, such as were made by BoRNsTEIN cannot be decisive 
in this question. Moreover in these experiments no notice has been 
taken of the significance of the relative volume of blood corpuscles 
and plasma in the composition of the total of blood in the two 
cases. 
It may now be further asked whether the fatglobules as such 
are absorbed in the blood capillaria, or not until they have first 
perhaps, been converted into a soluble combination. 
CLAUDE BERNARD’s experiments suggests, indeed, the first hypo- 
thesis, but it does not exclude the second. 
On this question I hope soon to make some communications. 
It has already been shown that the blood capillaria take a direct 
part in the resorption of fat in the small intestine; and may also 
most probably do so in the large intestine. 
Summary. 
1. It may now be considered as proved that the large intestine 
of the dog has the power of resorbing fat. 
2. Contrary to the opinion hitherto held, this power is consider- 
able, and is not inferior even to that of the small intestine. 
