144 Royal Society : — 



communication to the Parisian Academy of Sciences. Bernard's 

 interpretation of it is connected with the relative activity of the ab- 

 dominal circulation ; but, for myself, I bring it forward as strongly 

 supporting the views that have been advanced, and consider it to be 

 explained by the influence of temperature on the j^ost mortem pro- 

 duction of sugar. 



The material which occasions the presence of sugar in the dead 

 liver, has been called by Bernard " Glucogenic matter," — a term 

 which, being only specially applicable after death, it is suggested 

 should be abandoned, and replaced by Hepatine. 



The amount of hepatine in the liver of the dog is much greater 

 under a vegetable than an animal diet. The amount is also increased 

 by mixing sugar with animal food. From the examples given, it is 

 shown likewise that the relative weight of the liver presents a pro- 

 portionate variation, according to the quantity of hepatine present. 

 In eleven dogs taken indiscriminately, that had been restricted to 

 an animal diet, the weight of the liver was one-thirtieth that of the 

 animal. The average per-centage of hepatine yielded by eight livers, 

 also taken indiscriminately after an animal diet, was 6*97. Five 

 instances have been collected of dogs restricted to a vegetable diet 

 for some days prior to death. The average weight of the liver was 

 one-fifteenth that of the animal. In only three of the examples 

 was the actual amount of hepatine determined, but in the other two 

 it was noticed to be exceedingly large. The average given by the 

 three was 17" 23 per cent. Four dogs were placed upon an animal 

 diet, and about a quarter of a pound of ordinary cane-sugar ad- 

 ministered daily for a short period. The average weight given by 

 the four livers was one-sixteenth and a half that of the animal, and 

 the average amount of hepatine yielded was ]4*5 per cent. 



The natural destination of hepatine in the living body remains to 

 be determined. It has also to be shown how it resists transforma- 

 tion into sugar during life, when it is so rapidly changed at an 

 elevated temperature immediately after death. A possible analogy 

 may be presented by the following occurrence : — When a solution of 

 hepatine, in a neutral state, is placed in contact with saliva, an 

 almost instantaneous transformation into sugar takes place ; but if 

 a little acid alkali or carbonated alkali be added, scarcely a trace of 

 change is for some time discoverable. 



Under normal circumstances, rarely an appreciable amount of 

 sugar is encountered in the circulatory system — only, according to my 

 analyses, from about '047 to '073 of a grain in 100 grains of defi- 

 brinated right-ventricular blood ; and this would appear to result 

 rather from a simple escape of a small amount of hepatine from the 

 tissue of the liver into the blood whilst circulating through the 

 capillaries, than from a special functional operation of the organ ; for 

 when a disturbance of the circulation, whether by congestion or tlie 

 opposite, is occasioned, sugar makes its appearance to a considerable 

 extent in the system, because the admixture of hepatine with the 

 blood is favoured. It can be easily shown by experiment, that on 

 introducing hepatine into the circulatory system, a saccharine state 



A 



