266 DIGESTION. 



with the chemistry of organic nitrogenized bodies to be able 

 to follow out closely all the changes which take place during 

 their digestion. 1 



With even the imperfect knowledge which we have of 

 the properties of albuminose, it is evident that the object of 

 stomach-digestion, aside from its function in preparing cer- 

 tain articles for the action of the intestinal fluids, is not simply 

 to liquefy certain of the alimentary principles, but to change 

 them in such a way as to render them endosmotic and pro- 

 vide -against the coagulation which is so readily induced in 

 ordinary nitrogenized bodies. Albuminose passes through 

 membranes with great facility, and, as we have seen, is not 

 coagulable by heat or the acids. 



Another, the most important and the essential change 

 which is exerted by the gastric juice upon the albuminoids, 

 is that by which they are rendered capable of assimilation 

 by the system after their absorption. The important fact 

 that pure albumen and gelatine, when injected into the 

 blood, are not assimilable but are rejected by the kidneys 

 was first demonstrated by Bernard and Barreswil. These 

 observers found also that albumen and gelatine which had 

 previously been digested in gastric juice were assimilated 

 in the same way as though they had penetrated by the 

 natural process of absorption from the alimentary canal.' 

 Mialhe has repeated these experiments, and arrived at the 

 same conclusions. He has also found that the same is true 

 of caseine and fibrin. 3 



1 Before the researches of Mialhe, little or nothing of a positive nature was 

 known regarding the products of stomach- digestion. The substance now called 

 albuminose was then indefinitely described under the names of osmazome, sali- 

 vary matter, gelatiniform matter, etc. 



2 BERNARD ET BARRESWIL, Memoire sur le Sue Gastrique et son Role dans la 

 Nutrition. Comptes Rendus, Paris, 1844, 2me serie, tome xii., p. 277. 



a MIALHE, op. cit., p. 127. With regard to the experiments of Bernard and 

 Barreswil, it is justly remarked by Berard (Traite de Physiologic, tome ii., p. 133) 

 that, as the digestion of albuminoid principles takes away from them the charac- 

 ters by which they are ordinarily recognized, albumen could not, of course, b& 



