96 THE LACTIC ACID GROUP. 



improbable ; since, independently of the circumstance that Mar- 

 chand and Colberg,* as well as Geiger and Schlossberger,t found 

 much carbonated alkali in the ash afforded by lymph, whose albu- 

 minous constituents were removed previously to incineration, and 

 whose reaction was scarcely, or not at all, alkaline, we cannot readily 

 perceive in what other way than through the lymph the large 

 quantities of the lactic acid formed in the muscles can be carried 

 away. 



The recognition of lactates in healthy blood is just as difficult 

 or impossible as that of urea in the same fluid. It is probable that 

 we shall never obtain a positive demonstration of the existence of 

 alkaline lactates in healthy blood by direct experiment, but the 

 simplest induction proves that they must be present there, even if 

 they only remain in it for a very short period. We know from 

 numerous experiments how rapidly effete matters, and especially 

 salts of easy solubility, are removed from the animal organism by 

 the kidneys ; we know with what extreme rapidity iodide of potas- 

 sium appears in the urine after it has been swallowed ; and we know 

 that it is only on that account that urea has not yet been detected 

 in healthy blood, (notwithstanding the assertions of certain persons), 

 for its sojourn in the blood is so very short that the quantity occur- 

 ing in that fluid at the same time is scarcely to be recognised with 

 our present chemical appliances. (MarchandJ). Hence it is not 

 surprising that the presence of lactic acid has never yet been 

 demonstrated, with all the necessary scientific accuracy, in normal 

 blood, especially when we consider that it is removed from the 

 circulating fluid in more ways than one. The combustion of 

 the alkaline lactates that is to say, their conversion into alka- 

 line carbonates exceeds in rapidity and extent their passage 

 into the urine. Until we can prove that the lactic acid, which 

 is accumulated in large quantity in the muscular tissue, and is found 

 in the chyle and in the lymph, undergoes decomposition on the 

 spot, we must assume that it passes into the blood, and the 

 more so because we well know that chemical analysis has not yet 

 attained such a degree of accuracy as to enable us to demonstrate 

 the presence of lactic acid in the blood with due scientific preci- 

 sion. In what other way than through the blood could the lactic 

 acid of the chyle or the muscular fibre pass into the urine ? Lactic 

 acid, like urea, may collect abnormally in such quantities in the 



* Poggend. Ann. Bd. 43, S. 625. 



f Arch. f. physiol. Med. Bd. 5, S. 394. 



J Journ. f. prakt. Ch. Bd, 11, S. 49, 



