580 



PHYSIOLOGY. 



Sciences having found that an animal gorged with 

 fat and then deprived of food may still gain in 

 weight, the increase resulting from the oxidation 

 of the fat, which is transformed into glycogen and 

 accumulates in the muscles instead of in the liver. 



J. Skegen has found reason from results of ex- 

 periments with liver extract to believe that the 

 proteids undergo a disintegration in the liver 

 which leads to the detachment of a molecule of a 

 sugarlike substance containing nitrogen, and this 

 by the action of a liver ferment undergoes further 

 changes terminating in the production of glyco- 

 gen. Similar conclusions have been arrived at by 

 Dr. Berkhard Schoendorff, while M. C. Bouchard 

 and M. A. Desgrez have satisfied themselves that 

 muscle glycogen can be formed in the body from 

 incompletely oxidized fats. The experiments of 

 R. Conn render it probable that glycogen can be 

 derived from leucine, and Dr. Martin Jacoby has 

 pointed out that there are probably many ferments 

 in the liver. 



Secretion. Physiologists have not been agreed 

 as to whether a connection exists between the 

 lymphatic and the blood vascular systems. A 

 number, including Mascagni, Haller, and Cruik- 

 shank. have denied the existence of such connec- 

 tion except with the large veins in the neck, while 

 a considerable number of others have observed 

 cases in which the lymphatics directly opened into 

 the vense cavse, the portal, renal, axillary, and 

 internal iliac veins. Mr. Cecil H. Leaf has now 

 recorded in the Lancet other examples of con- 

 nection between the lymphatic and venous trunks, 

 and has further shown that a direct communica- 

 tion exists between the small arteries in the thorax 

 and the lymphatic vessels in that region, although 

 the connection is not so free as between the 

 lymphatics and the veins. It has been known for 

 some time, he says, that the lymph often assumes 

 a pink or reddish hue, and the color has been 

 shown to be due to the presence of red blood 

 corpuscles. " How do the corpuscles pass into the 

 lymphatic vessels? If the fact already mentioned 

 is admitted viz., that a certain number of small 

 arteries pour their contents directly into lymphatic 

 vessels- the presence of these corpuscles is readily 

 explained, and another factor is present which 

 would materially quicken the movements of the 

 lymph. However, it is only right to add that the 

 arteries apparently do not communicate directly 

 with the lymphatics nearly so frequently as do 

 the veins. If the communications between the 

 veins and lymphatics can be shown beyond a doubt 

 to take place all over the body and already they 

 have been observed to exist to a very considerable 

 extent it follows that we ought to regard the 

 venous system as a part, and that no inconsider- 

 able part, of the absorbent system. 



On examining the extract of the adrenal cap- 

 sules Mr. John Abel found that by the employment 

 of benzoyl chloride and a 10-per-cent. solution of 

 soda he was able to extract a peculiar substance 

 which is present in the proportion of about 1 part 

 in 10,000 parts of the gland substance, to which he 

 gave the name of cpincphrin. This substance is 

 a lose which has a bitterish taste and produces a 

 slight local anaesthesia. Its formula is C 17 H 16 NO 4 . 

 It is precipitated from its acid solutions by picric 

 acid. The author found that when solutions of 

 the salts of epincphrin are applied to the normal 

 conjunctiva or to one which by stimulation is 

 more or loss congested, the vessels immediately 

 contract and the contraction persists for a long 

 time. The same holds good for other mucous 

 membranes. It should be observed, however, that 

 this is true only of the salts of epinephrin, and 

 that the base itself has very slight, if any, physi- 



ological properties. The salts when injected into 

 the veins cause great and persistent increase of 

 blood pressure. They first excite and then para- 

 lyze the respiratory centers. At a later period, 

 and when the substance is given in larger doses, 

 the heart is paralyzed. Evidence has now been 

 obtained that the blood returning from the adre- 

 nals also contains the substance that raises the 

 blood pressure, and that this is not present in the 

 blood of any other part of the body. Its forma- 

 tion appears to be under the influence of the 

 splanchnic nerves, which may thus be regarded as 

 containing secretory as well as vaso-dilator fibers. 

 Electric stimulation of the splanchnic nerves occa- 

 sions an increase in the production of epinephrin. 

 The author further considers the relations of epi- 

 nephrin to Addison's disease. 



A contribution to the discussion of the theory 

 of Horbaczewski, that uric acid is derived from 

 the disintegration of proteids containing nuclein. 

 notably of the leucocytes, is made by Dr. Carstairs 

 C. Douglas, of Glasgow, from the results of 9.1 

 simultaneous quantitative determinations made 

 upon 1 persons in good health and 35 persons 

 suffering from various diseases. The author con- 

 cludes that on the whole there is a discrepancy 

 between the amount of uric acid thrown off from 

 the body and the number of leucocytes, and his 

 observations do not support the view that nor 

 mally the source of uric acid is found in the nu- 

 clein of the leucocytes. His analyses showed. 

 among other things, that uric acid varies much 

 less with diet than does urea. 



The results of an investigation described by 

 Francis W. Goodbody go to show that sodium 

 salicylate causes an increase in the quantity of 

 urine excreted and in its specific gravity. The 

 latter increase is ascribed principally to the au.i: 

 mented elimination of the nitrogenous substances 

 especially of the urea. It was further observed 

 that sodium salicylate causes an increased break 

 ing up of proteids in the body, and that it has 

 no influence on general metabolism so far as ab- 

 sorption of the proteids and fats is concerned, not- 

 withstanding its known cholagogue action. 



Assuming that in plants and the lower animals 

 the simple inorganic compounds of phosphorus 

 are used in the synthesis of the nucleins, and 

 an investigation by one of the authors having 

 shown that a similar synthesis is effected in 

 fishes, Noel Paton, J. C/Dunlop, and R. S. At 

 chison have undertaken an investigation of tin 

 progress of such synthesis in mammalia of 

 which little is known. As a preliminary to tin 

 study of the metabolism of phosphorus a knowl 

 edge of its channels of absorption and secret i<>r 

 was required. Carrying on their studies upoi 

 the dog and the goat, the authors found thai 

 in the normal condition, with the animal in 

 phosphorus equilibrium, the absorption and e\ 

 cretion of phosphorus by the intestines wen 1 

 equal. During lactation in the goat the TV 

 tion of phosphorus by the bowel was diminished 

 to meet the demands of milk formation: whil > 

 in the dog during lactation a diminished oxen - 

 tion of phosphorus in the urine was remarked. 

 The milk of the goat contained a very high pr< - 

 portion of phosphorus, while the percentage "f 

 organically combined phosphorus was lower thtri 

 in the milk of the human subject or of the cow. 

 The administration of the soluble glyccn>-ph<>-- 

 phate of lime by the mouth causes no increase! 

 excretion of phosphorus in the urine of the do/ 

 and in the urine and milk of the goat. 



The general conclusion from a discussion in 

 the British Medical Association of the origin 

 of uric acid, in which Prof. W. D. Halliburton. 



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