198 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



which has lately been confirmed by BASTIANELLI. Intestinal juice 

 or an infusion of the mucous coat inverts cane-sugar (PASCHUTLN, 

 BASTIANELLI), and this inversion is, according to BEOW^ and 

 HERON, produced even more quickly by the mucous membrane 

 itself. Maltose seems to be quickly changed into glucose, and this 

 action depends especially on PETER'S group of glands. The action 

 on carbohydrates takes place more quickly and in greater quantity 

 in the upper part of the intestine, and correspondingly the absorp- 

 tion of starch and sugar occurs more quickly in the upper part 

 than in the lower section of the intestine (LANHOIS and LEPINE, 

 KOHMAFN). 



Intestinal juice does not split neutral fats, but it has the 

 property, like other alkaline fluids, of emulsifying the fats. In 

 regard to its action on albuminous bodies most investigators agree 

 that the intestinal juice has no action on boiled albumin or flesh, 

 while it dissolves fibrin according to THIBY. Albumoses are not 

 converted into peptones (WENZ, BASTIANELLI). Contrary to other 

 investigators, SCHIFF claims that the juice from a successful fistula, 

 operation digests not only coagulated albumin and lumps of casein, 

 but also unboiled and boiled flesh. The lack of action on albumins, 

 which was observed by other investigators, SCHIFF attributes to the 

 abnormal juice with which they experimented. SCHIFF also ob- 

 tained from an operation not entirely successful a juice whose 

 action on albumin and meat was no greater than that studied by 

 THIRY and other investigators. 



Human intestinal juice in a case of anus prceternaturalis 

 has been investigated by DEMANT. This juice showed itself entirely 

 inactive on albuminous bodies, even on fibrin and on fats. It only 

 showed a very faint action on boiled starch. Those tests on the 

 action of the intestinal juice which are made, in isolated stoppage 

 of the intestine in animals or human intestine in cases of anus 

 prceternaturalis, on the food which has been introduced into the in- 

 testine, generally give no positive results, because of the putrefac- 

 tion processes going on in the intestine. 



The secretion of the glands in the large intestine seems to con- 

 sist chiefly of mucus. Fistulas have also been introduced into 

 these parts of the intestine, which are chiefly if not entirely to be 

 considered as absorption organs. The investigations on the action of 



