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X. " An Experimental Inquiry into the alleged Sugar-forming 

 Function of the Liver." By F. W. PAVY, M.D. Com- 

 municated by Dr. OWEN REES. Received May 26, 1858. 



(Abstract.) 



The author commenced by stating that the question to be discussed 

 in his communication was, not whether sugar was to be found in the 

 animal system independently of a saccharine alimentation, for that 

 he considered to stand upon irrefutable ground ; but whether the 

 sugar encountered in the liver after death was a natural representa- 

 tion of the condition during life, or was only the result of a post 

 mortem occurrence. He had noticed as early as February 1854, 

 that the blood removed by catheterism of the right ventricle during 

 life, was almost completely destitute of saccharine impregnation. 

 The observation did not then, however, receive the attention it 

 deserved ; but on repeating the experiment at a later period, and 

 meeting with a similar result, an investigation was made which has 

 led to the conclusions advanced in his communication. 



From upwards of sixty observations, it is asserted that the con- 

 dition of the blood after death can no longer be taken as indicating 

 its state during life. For, if blood be withdrawn from the right 

 ventricle of the living animal in a natural or tranquil state, there is 

 scarcely an appreciable amount of sugar to be discovered, whilst, if 

 the animal be afterwards sacrificed and blood collected from a fine in- 

 cision of the ventricle, it will be found to present a strong indication 

 of the presence of sugar. In one of the experiments quoted, there 

 was a barely appreciable reaction in the blood removed during life, 

 and nearly 1 per cent of sugar in the blood collected after death, 

 the animal having been sacrificed immediately after catheterism has 

 been performed. 



Observing this striking contrast in the blood abstracted from the 

 right ventricle before and after death, the possibility occurred that 

 there might be a corresponding contrast in the organ that was con- 

 sidered to be specially endowed with a sugar-forming function. The 

 recent researches of Bernard had taught us that a material naturally 

 existed in the liver which was extremely susceptible of conversion 

 into sugar. It was this material, in fact, which was looked upon as 



