358 DIGESTION AND RESORPTION OF FATS 



One might be disposed, perhaps, to use this as an argument 

 against the above stated theory of hydrolytic fat cleavage 

 in the intestine. But from the present status of the general 

 question the author would prefer to interpret these observa- 

 tions as indicating that it makes a distinct difference whether 

 the neutral fat is hydrolyzed little by little and immediately 

 elaborated, or whether the intestine is flooded beyond 

 physiological possibilities by large and presumably not in- 

 different quantities of soaps. 



For the rest, mixtures of fatty acids are apparently at 

 times absorbed with more difficulty than their correspond- 

 ing sodium salts. 25 



The rapidity of resorption of neutral fats depends in 

 large measure upon the melting point of the fat concerned, 

 the fats with high melting points (as tallows) being taken 

 up more slowly and less fully, than oily and lard-like fats, 

 this explaining to some degree why the fats passed with 

 fecal matter show a higher melting point than the corre- 

 sponding fats in the food. 26 



Method of Study With Isolated Intestinal Loops. Be- 

 fore proceeding further, some reference should be introduced 

 here upon the methods applicable in experiments upon fat 

 absorption. Some years ago we were accustomed to regard 

 the method of the "isolated intestinal loops " very highly 

 in all sorts of absorption experiments, and fancied that we 

 were working under precise "physiological" conditions 

 when employing this method. When, several years ago, the 

 author, in association with Julius Schiitz, 27 undertook to 

 study fat resorption from isolated loops high hopes were 

 centred in the experiments, particularly because the tech- 

 nic employed was a very distinct improvement upon that 



25 S. Levites (Instit. of Exper. Med., St. Petersburg), Zeitschr. f. physiol. 

 Chem., 53, 349, 1907. 



245 J. Munk, F. Miiller, Aruschnik, Levites (1. c.), F. Tangl and A. Erdeiyi 

 (Budapesth), Biochem. Zeitschr., 34, 94, 1911. 



27 O. von Fiirth and J. Schfitz, 1. c. 



