268 Prof. V. Harley. Influence of Removal of Large Intestine and 



absorbed. Thus in this dog we have exactly the same results as in the 

 preceding dog, and therefore we can take these two normal dogs as a 

 standard for comparison with the results obtained after the removal of 

 the large intestine.* 



The Influence of Partial Removal of the Large Intestine on Metabolism. 



We now come to consider the effect of removal of the large intes- 

 tine on general metabolism under similar circumstances to what we 

 have found in normal dogs on increasing the amount of fat contained 

 in their diet. Before doing so, however, we will consider by way of 

 preface a case of partial removal of the large intestine. 



In this experiment the middle third of the large intestine was 

 converted into a Vella's fistula, the caecum being attached to the 

 rectum, on March 20, 1894, at which time the dog (a female) weighed 

 12 Ibs. In December of that year her weight had risen up to 15 Ibs., 

 and the experiments about to be described were not carried out till 

 November, 1895. 



During a part of the time, before the experiments were completed, 

 the dog was fed up, and became so fat at one time as to be practically 

 unable to walk down stairs. It was from the results which were then 

 obtained in this case of the partial removal of the large intestine that 

 the present research was entered into, although the original experi- 

 ments had been intended to be an investigation into the absorption 

 from the large intestine, using fistulse for that purpose. The post 

 mortem examination showed the fistulous part of the large intestine, 

 which was over 17 cm. long, to be very much narrower than normal, 

 and to contain ddlnis, mostly impacted, in the region of the fistula. 

 This was analysed as already stated. 



In this case, from the ileo-csecal valve to the sutured junction, the 



* Wicke and Weiske, in some experiments on the influence of the addition of 

 fats and starch to the diet on metabolism, experimented -with sheep. These two 

 observers found that increasing the quantity of fat in the diet caused an increasing 

 quantity of faeces to be eliminated. At the same time, less nitrogen was excreted 

 in the urine, so that the fat acted as a nitrogen sparer to the organism. 



It is thus seen that these experiments, in which fat was added to the diet of 

 herbivora, yielded the same results as are found in the above tables in the case of 

 the carnivora, except in one small detail. 



Wicke and Weiske did not find, according to their table, any marked decrease in 

 the quantity of urine by increasing the quantity of fat in the diet, although their 

 tables tend to show a decrease, while in the case of the carnivora we have got a 

 very marked decrease. 



We, therefore, can conclude that the normal dogs here shown are well capable 

 of acting as standards of comparison to the results obtained after the removal of the 

 large intestine, since the results compare very favourably with those found in the 

 case of the herbivora (' Zeit. f. Physiol. Chem.,' 1895, vol. 21, p. 42 ; 1896, vol. 22, 

 pp. 137 and 265). 



