210 THE DI ASTATIC ENZYME. [BOOK II. 



likely that the discrepancy between v. Wittich's and Htifner's results 

 may have depended upon the former having eliminated all traces of 

 water in his preparation, whilst the latter may not have done so. 



The Chemical Composition of the Diastatic Enzyme. 



On this matter our information is such that we can say little, and 

 that consists mainly of negative assertions. 



From the observations of Cohnheim and of Liversidge it results 

 that the diastatic ferment does not give the reactions of the proteid 

 bodies. Hufner's discrepant results are accounted for by the fact that 

 his pancreatin did contain considerable quantities of trypsin. 



The diastatic ferment is a nitrogenous body, which possesses a 

 composition widely different from that of the proteids. 



The analysis of the ferment prepared by Liversidge, and which 

 strangely only furnishes the amount of carbon and nitrogen, gave the 

 following results : 



Carbon per cent. 34'925 



Nitrogen 1T020 



Hufner found his so-called Pancreatin to have the following 

 composition : 



Carbon 40'9 



Hydrogen 6 '85 



Nitrogen 13'64 



This analysis agrees with the hypothesis that Hufner's pancreatin 

 consisted of a mixture of diastatic ferment and proteids, a hypothesis 

 of which he has besides furnished the proofs in the account of his 

 experiments. 



SECT. 5. THE FAT-DECOMPOSING ENZYME. 



The Researches of Claude Bernard. 



Eberle 1 announced in 1834 that a watery infusion of the pan- 

 creas, when shaken with oil, emulsionized it, a creamy emulsion being 

 obtained, and he was led to surmise that one of the functions of the 

 pancreatic juice consists in emulsifying fats and thus favouring their 

 absorption by the lacteals. 



This older observation has generally been forgotten, and the 

 whole credit of suggesting as well as of elucidating the part played 

 by the pancreatic juice in the digestion and absorption of fats 

 ascribed to Claude Bernard. 



1 Eberle, Physiologie der Verdauung, Wiirzbtirg, 1834. 



