SUGAR. 281 



be detected if we had from 18 to 25 grammes of the fluid for the 

 purpose of analysis. In the chyle of the horse A only O029& 

 of sugar was found, and in that of the horses B and C even less. 

 The quantity of sugar passing into the lacteals is consequently 

 very inconsiderable. 



Do we then find in the intestinal canal itself any proof that 

 the absorption of sugar takes place so rapidly as is commonly 

 believed to be the case ? Direct experiments, which I have insti- 

 tuted with the view of determining this point, do not by any means 

 support the above view. From 1 to 2 grammes of sugar obtained 

 from starch (dissolved in 5, 10, 15, and 30 parts of water) were 

 injected into the stomachs of rabbits weighing from 1*5 to 2*5 kilo- 

 grammes [from 3*3 to 5*5 Ibs.], and the animals (which had been 

 allowed to take solid food both immediately before and after the 

 injection) were respectively killed half an hour, 1 hour, and 2 

 hours afterwards. Sugar could always be still found in the stomach, 

 the duodenum, and the jejunum ; in the animal that was killed 

 after one hour, sugar was still found in the lowermost part of the 

 ileum ; if the animal were killed in 1 hour after taking 2 grammes 

 of sugar, this substance was found in no inconsiderable quantity in 

 the caecum. The contents of the duodenum and jejunum, which 

 were generally tolerably fluid and even limpid, had a very strong 

 acid reaction, which was less strongly manifested, but was still very 

 distinct in the contents of the ileum. The contents of the caecum 

 always presented a very strong acid reaction. Further, if rabbits 

 were fed for several days solely with red beet, or solely with carrots, 

 sugar (namely glucose) was found not only in the stomach but 

 also in the duodenum in very considerable quantities ; in the jeju- 

 num the quantity of sugar that could be detected was smaller, and at 

 the lower part of the ileum this substance had entirely disappeared. 

 The contents of the stomach exhibited a strong acid reaction, and 

 those of the duodenum were rather less decidedly acid; on the other 

 hand, the contents of the jejunum reddened litmus paper very 

 intensely, while those of the ileum were less acid, although stronger 

 than those of the caecum. 



These observations, which were formerly made by myself on 

 cats, horses, and rabbits, have recently been confirmed by numer- 

 ous investigations conducted in my laboratory, partly by Uhle* and 

 partly by von Becker.t 



It needs no circumstantial numerical proof, which indeed could 



* Diss. inaug. Lips. 1852. 



i Zeitschr. f. wiss. Zoologie. 1853, Bd. 5, S. 123. 



