PEPTONES. 59 



bodies which are essentially different from the soluble hydro- 

 chlorates and lactates of the protein-compounds. The simplest 

 experiment is indeed sufficient to show that dilute acids are in- 

 capable of producing the same effects as the gastric juice. 



It was shown by Elsasser* that a digestive mixture which had 

 been already saturated with a digested substance, and had con- 

 sequently lost its digestive powers, regains them in part, either by 

 being diluted with water, or by the addition of free acid. Different 

 views have been founded on these experiments (as, for instance, by 

 Elsasser and Schmidt), but it appears to me that questions of this 

 nature can only be decided by quantitative determinations; and 

 If have instituted many series of experiments in reference to this 

 point, without, however, as yet succeeding in obtaining a definite 

 formula for these relations, which could be expressed in numbers. 



Elsasser, from his experiments with an artificial digestive fluid, 

 concludes that from 3 to 4-g- of hydrochloric acid, HC1.HO, (and, 

 therefore, probably from 1*2 to 1*6 of the anhydrous acid, HC1,) 

 is the most favourable ratio; besides this, the quantity of solid con- 

 stituents in it should not exceed 1'25-g-. 



Wasmann, and other observers, for the most part ascribe the 

 peptic force to the free acid in general. My numerous experi- 

 ments have, however, led me to the result which I have already 

 mentioned, namely, that other acids when associated with pepsin, 

 possess only a slight digestive power, and that even hydrochloric 

 acid in which phosphate of lime had been dissolved to the 

 saturating point, no longer possesses any digestive force when 

 united with pepsin. 



Very different views were formerly deduced from the results of 

 positive investigation, in reference to the activity of the alkaline 

 chlorides in digestion. I my self J formerly believed that 1 had 

 ascertained that the addition of chloride of sodium to the gastric 

 juice, promoted the solution of the protein-bodies, but more recent 

 and extensive experiments have convinced me that every kind of 

 neutral alkaline salt very much impedes the digestive process. 



It is easy to demonstrate, by experiments on living animals, 

 and with both artificial and natural gastric juice, that fat very 

 much promotes the conversion of the protein-bodies into pep- 

 tones. This observation has been confirmed by Elsasser. 



* Op. cit. 



t Ber. der Ak. der Wiss. z. Leipz. 1849, S. 8-50. 



J Op. cit. 



Simon's Beitrage. Bd. 1, S. 22. 



