STOMACHAL DIGESTION. 243 



of meat which are soluble in water, by gelatine and by dex- 

 trine: broth and soup thus contain a large quantity of 

 peptogenous matter, and our every day experience in this 

 respect agrees perfectly with the latest scientific data. 



These peptogens appear to be absorbed by the stomach, 

 but their action would be precisely the same, if they were 

 introduced into the organism by being injected into the sub- 

 cutaneous cellular tissue, into the rectum, or directly into 

 the veins. It is remarkable that when absorbed by the small 

 intestine, these peptogens entirely lose their power ; not be- 

 cause of any change produced in them by the intestinal 

 canal, by the bile or the pancreatic juice; but because, being 

 absorbed by the chyle ducts, they cease to be peptogens, in 

 passing through the mesenteric glands. It must be admitted 

 that Schiff' s researches on this latter point have not the pre- 

 cision which marks the earlier part of his series of investiga- 

 tions; and that it is hardly possible to believe all the 

 experiments the aim of which is to show the action of the 

 mesenteric ganglions; but the question of absorption by 

 the stomach and of the uselessness of intestinal absorption, 

 does not, in spite of the apparent paradox, at all diminish the 

 general importance of the theory of peptogeny, as a question 

 of pure physiology, and as the fruitful source of therapeutical 

 applications. 



It was, indeed, to be supposed, a priori, that, in many 

 genuine cases of dyspepsia, that is, sluggishness of the diges- 

 tive organs; occasioned by insufficiency of the gastric juice 

 secreted by the stomach, the derangement might be simply 

 owing to the peptic glands not finding in the blood the 

 materials necessary to impregnate them sufficiently. What 

 this disease requires, therefore, is simply an artificial increase 

 of the peptogenous substance contained in the blood, and it 

 is simply necessary, as in physiological experiments, to pre- 

 pare the stomach, by impregnating it beforehand with a 

 sufficient quantity of peptogens and, consequently, of pepsin, 

 in order that the work of digestion may begin as'soon as food 

 is received. Schiff mentions the case of some persons suffer- 

 ing from this malady, who were cured in a few days by 

 taking soup an hour or two before a meal, or a draught of a 

 solution of dextrine, or even an injection of the same, half- 

 an-hour or an hour before taking food. 



We know that food consists' of albuminoid substances, of 

 feculent or saccharine substances, and, finally, of fatty mat- 

 ters. The gastric juice is not known to have any effect upon 



