98 LECTURE V. 



does not disagree with Hofmeister's * experiment showing that glucosuria 

 is produced in starving dogs. It has been proved, however, that an 

 existing acetonuria is diminished and even stopped by limiting the supply 

 of carbohydrates, while, on the other hand, it is a matter of experience 

 that when carbohydrates are entirely removed from the diet of diabetics 

 the direct consequence is often an acetonuria. For this reason it has been 

 attempted to ascribe the appearance of these acetone bodies to other 

 sources, to albumin especially. The appearance of the acetone bodies is, 

 according to one view, due to the progressive decomposition of albumin 

 taking place in severe types of diabetes. Now there is no parallel between 

 the elimination of nitrogen and acetone bodies. In starvation experi- 

 ments, for example, on account of the lessened consumption of albumin 

 during the first days, the amount of acetone eliminated increases. 2 Ac- 

 cording to Weintraud, 3 diabetics can be in equilibrium as regards nitrogen, 

 or may even add to their nitrogen without the elimination of acetone being 

 affected in the slightest. The observation made by Magnus-Levy 4 is like- 

 wise contrary to the assumption that the acetone bodies result from albumin; 

 in a case of diabetes there were 262 grams of albumin decomposed, and 342 

 grams of /?-hydroxy-butyric acid eliminated. This does not show that ace- 

 tone cannot be formed from albumin, for there may be more than a single 

 source; and then again the discussion of this question brings us once more 

 to the possibility of one food-stuff being converted into another. Further- 

 more, it must be admitted that our present knowledge concerning the 

 intermediate decomposition of albumin is still very limited. In no case 

 does it follow necessarily that the amount of nitrogen and of sulphur 

 eliminated is to be taken as a measure for the total decomposition of the 

 albumin introduced into the body. Again the point may well be raised 

 that the carbon eliminated in the urine represents only a part of the 

 carbon contained in the albumin, and the remaining carbon can be retained 

 in the system for a considerable time after all of the nitrogen and sulphur 

 have been eliminated. 5 Again there is much to be said in favor of fat 

 being the mother-substance of the eliminated acetone. This agrees with 

 the fact that during starvation for a time the organism performs its tasks 

 at the expense of its own fat, while, at the same time, the elimination of 

 acetone increases. The fact that feeding carbohydrates lessens the ace- 



1 Loc.tit. 



1 Cf. Giuseppe Satta: Hofmeister's Beitrage, 6, 1 (21), and 6, 376 (1904). 



8 Arch, exper. Path. Pharm. 34, 169 (1894). 



4 Ibid. 42, 149 (1899), and 45, 389 (1902). 



5 Acetone has been obtained in the laboratory to a slight extent by the oxidation of 

 albumin. These experiments, however, have no relation to the formation of acetone 

 in the body. The amount formed is far too small, and the possible source in fats or 

 carbohydrate is not excluded. 



