140 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



claimed by most investigators to have no influence. The views in 

 regard to the importance of the proteids in the glycogen formation 

 are somewhat divided. From many observations, particularly certain 

 nutrition experiments with boiled meat (NAUNYN) or blood-fibrin 

 (v. MERIKGS), there is no doubt that the proteids are concerned in 

 the formation of glycogen. WOLFFBERG has also found that he 

 obtained a larger glycogen production from a diet of proteids and 

 carbohydrates in proper proportions than from a diet consisting only 

 of carbohydrates with very little proteids. It has been shown by 

 many observers, and lately also by MOSZEIK, that a diet of proteids 

 with carbohydrates caused a greater increase in the glycogen than a 

 diet of carbohydrates alone. 



The great importance of the carbohydrates in the formation of 

 glycogen has given rise to the opinion that the glycogen in the liver 

 is produced from other carbohydrates (glucose) by a synthesis with 

 the separation of water with a formation of anhydride (LucHSLNT- 

 GER and others). This theory (anhydride theory) has found oppo- 

 nents because it neither explains the formation of glycogen from such 

 different bodies as albumin, carbohydrates, glycerine, and others, nor 

 the circumstance that the glycogen is always the same, independent 

 of the properties of the carbohydrate introduced, whether it is dex- 

 tro- or laevo-gyrate. It is therefore the opinion of many investi- 

 gators that all glycogen is formed from proteid, and that this splits 

 into two parts, one containing nitrogen and the other free from 

 nitrogen: the latter is the glycogen. According to these views, the 

 carbohydrates act only in that they spare the proteid and the gly- 

 cogen produced therefrom (WEISS, WOLFFBERG, and others). 



In many animal tissues we have proteids from which carbohy- 

 drates or closely-related bodies may be split off. The occurrence in 

 the liver of such proteids, from which carbohydrates can be split 

 off, is from certain observations not at all improbable, but still it 

 has not been fully proved. Nor has the view of certain investigators, 

 that in the ordinary sense we have a carbohydrate group preformed 

 in the albuminous body, been conclusively established. Under such 

 circumstances it is not easy to explain the formation of glycogen in 

 the animal body from proteids. But as it seems to be certain that 

 glycogen can be produced either from proteids or from carbo- 

 hydrates, which has lately been further demonstrated by E. VOIT, 



