336 DEXTRIN. SUGAR. IXOSIT. [BOOK I. 



Dextrin. (C 6 H 10 6 ) H . 



Limpricht 1 and Scherer asserted that horse-flesh contains dextrin ; 

 the former observer obtained large quantities from the muscles of 

 young horses. 



It may be taken as certain 2 that the body was however glycogen- 

 dextrin, produced after death from glycogen. 



Fermentable Sugar. 



It was formerly believed that muscle in a state of rest contained 

 a small quantity of sugar. From the observations of Nasse 3 it would 

 appear that sugar is only developed during activity or rigor and that 

 none is actually found in muscle at rest. 



Inosit. C 6 H 12 6 + 211,0. 



This non -fermentable isomer of grape-sugar was discovered by 

 Scherer 4 in the muscular substance of the heart, and has since 

 been found in the voluntary muscles, of which it is said, however, not 

 to be an invariable constituent ; it is said to occur especially in the 

 muscles of drunkards. It is likewise present in the tissues of the 

 nervous system (Miiller), and in the lungs, liver, kidneys and spleen of 

 oxen (Cloetta 6 ); it has been found in the kidneys of man, in the 

 urine of certain cases of Bright's disease, in the urine of diabetes 

 mellitus; in the liquid contents of hepatic hydatid cysts. Inosit 

 is found in many plants 6 , as in green kidney beans, the unripe fruit of 

 Phaseolus vulgaris (by Vohl, who gave to it the name Phaseomannite) : 

 in the green pods and unripe seeds of the garden pea (Pisum sativum) : 

 in the unripe fruit of the lentil (Ervum lens), and of the common 

 acacia (Robinia pseudacacia) : in the heads of the common cabbage 

 (Brassica oleracea, var. capitata) : in the herb of foxglove (Digitalis 

 purpurea) ; in the leaves and stem of dandelion (Taraxacum dens 

 leonis), not from the flowers or roots; in the shoots of the potato; in 

 the green herb and unripe berries of asparagus ; and' in two crypto- 

 gamic plants, viz. Lactarius piperatus, L. and Clavaria crocea, Pezs 7 . 



1 Limpricht, Ann. d. Chem. u. Pharm. Vol. cxxxm. (1865) p. 295. 

 3 Nasse, "Chemie u. Stoffwechsel d. Mu skein." Hermann's Handbuch der Phy- 

 siologic, Vol. i. part i. p. 280. 



3 Nasse, "Beitrage zur Physiologic der contraction Substanz." Pniiger's Archiv, 

 Vol. ir. (1869) p. 103. 



4 Scherer, Annal. d. Chem. u. Pharm., Vol. LXXIII. (1850) p. 322. 

 6 Cloetta, ibid. Vol. xcix. p. 289. 



6 This list of plants in which inosit occurs is copied verbatim from Watt's 

 Dictionary, Vol. in. p. 274. 



7 As to the identity of the inosit from vegetable and animal tissues consult Janret et 

 Villiers, Comptes Rendus, Vol. LXXXVI. p. 486. 



