CARBOHYDRATES. 89 



present our knowledge in this direction is still too slight for us to 

 attempt to discuss in the light of experimental data any disturbance 

 in the glycogen decomposition. We merely wish to point out the possi- 

 bility, and to suggest that there is a certain analogy between pancreatic- 

 glucosuria and the disturbances in the formation of sugar which have 

 been taken up previously (diabetic puncture, etc.). 



Glucohemia might also become established by the failure of the 

 muscles to consume sugar. Unfortunately we know very little con- 

 cerning the manner in which the muscles consume sugar, and conse- 

 quently practically nothing concerning the possibilities of disturbing 

 this function. In analogy to other processes, it has been suggested that 

 this may also be due to the action of a ferment, a conception which is per- 

 fectly plausible, for we have here to deal with either a direct or indirect 

 protoplasmic action. Recently O. Cohnheim 1 has studied this problem. 

 He showed that the juice obtained from the pancreatic gland by high 

 pressure was not capable of decomposing sugar. On the other hand, 

 sugar was not attacked by the expressed juice from the muscles. Cohn- 

 heim found, however, that on bringing together the juices from both of 

 these organs, glucolysis took place at once. He explained this fact by 

 considering the analogy with observations made with other ferments, and 

 assuming that the muscles produce a ferment which is inactive, i.e., inca- 

 pable by itself of attacking sugar. This muscular ferment is activated by 

 a substance obtained from the pancreatic gland and brought to it by the 

 blood circulation. This would readily explain pancreatic-glucosuria. It 

 must be remembered, however, that this conception does not explain all 

 of the phenomena observed in pancreatic-glucosuria; thus, for example, 

 it does not account at all for the fact that the glycogen stores of the liver 

 disappear. On the other hand, there is absolutely no reason for assuming 

 that the pancreas has only one function with regard to the metabolism of 

 carbohydrates. It is, indeed, possible that it has different effects upon 

 different organs, and that, furthermore, when the functions and metabolic 

 effect of the different organs become disturbed, they again bring into play 

 secondary influences of the organs upon one another, so that one disturb- 

 ance causes a number of complications. 



If we summarize all that we know positively concerning the cause of the 

 glucohemia resulting from extirpation of the pancreas, we may say that 

 we have to deal with a disturbance in the regulation of the transforma- 

 tion of sugar, and that evidently the pancreatic gland gives up to the blood 

 some substance which regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates. This 

 function of the pancreas, in contrast to its other function of forming and 



1 Z. physiol. Chem. 39, 336 (1903); 42, 401 (1904); 43, 547 (1905). For objections 

 to Cohnheim's conclusions, see Glaus andEmbden: Pankreas und Glycolyse, Hofmeister's 

 Beitrage, 6, 214, 343 (1905). 



