MUSCLE DIASTASE 215 



phloridzin, phloretin, morphin, strichnin, etc., with a sup- 

 posed increase of hepatic diastase. It is claimed, too, that 

 section of the vagus is followed by marked increase in the 

 hepatic diastase. 70 In view of all such statements it must 

 be regarded as very important that Starkenstein, 71 employ- 

 ing a technical method said to be highly perfected, has been 

 unable to recognize any important increase of diastasic 

 power of the liver, either in case of Bernard's puncture or 

 after injections of adrenin. Wohlgemuth, and, too Mockel 

 and Host have also failed in case of adrenin glycosuria and 

 puncture glycosuria to find any increase of diastase in the 

 blood and tissues. 72 It therefore seems highly improbable 

 that the exaggerated output of glycogen from the liver, pro- 

 duced by various physiological and toxic agencies, is really 

 an expression of an activation of the hepatic diastase. 



Muscle Diastase. In view of the great physiological im- 

 portance of muscle diastase the author assigned to F. 

 Kisch 73 inquiry into the question whether muscle is able 

 to accommodate itself to the varying requirement of the 

 body for mobile sugar, perhaps by changing its diastasic 

 power, possibly by forming fresh diastase from an inactive 

 preferment whenever a need for increased sugar arises in 

 states of hunger or fatigue. No apparent difference was 

 found, however, in diastatic ability of the muscles of a given 

 animal whether at rest or after excessive functional effort, 

 whether after full feeding or in starvation. "We cannot but 

 assume, therefore, that the body has recourse to other means 

 than the production of diastase to mobilize its carbohydrate 

 supply at the precise time when it is needed. 



70 1. Bang, M. Ljungdahl and V. Bohm, Hofmeister's Beitr., 9, 408, 1907 ; 

 10, 1, 312, 1907; P. Zegla, Biochem. Zeitschr., 16, 111, 1909. 

 71 1. c. 



72 J. Wohlgemuth, Biochem. Zeitschr., 22, 381, 460, 1909; K. Mockel and 

 F. Host, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 67, 433, 1910. 



73 F. Kisch, Hofmeister's Beitr., 8, 210, 1906, under direction of O. v. Fttrth; 

 cf. therein Literature upon Postmortem Loss of Glycogen in Muscles; cf. also 

 Z. Gatin-Gruzewska, Jour, de Physiol., 1907. 



