320 PHYSIOLOGY CHAP. 



hepatic circulation was cut out, the principal source of sugar in 

 the blood was wanting ; the sugar was locked up in the liver, and 

 the hyperglycaemia and diabetes consequent on the lost inhibitory 

 action Jo f the pancreas on sugar production were not developed. 



To explain the hyperglycaemia consequent on removal of the 

 pancreas, another hypothesis was invoked, to the effect that the 

 sugar formed in the body undergoes, in passing through the 

 pancreas in the blood, a conversion which facilitates its consump- 

 tion. This theory, however, seems improbable, when we reflect 

 (a) that only a small amount of the total mass of the blood 

 traverses the pancreas ; (b) that a tenth part of the pancreas left 

 in situ is sufficient to impede the production of glycosuria ; (c) 

 that (according to observations of Capparelli) in cases in which 

 fragments of pancreas are left adhering to the mesentery, or free 

 in the abdominal cavity, glycosuria is delayed, and appears only 

 when these fragments are destroyed by necrotic processes ; (d) that 

 the glycosuria consequent on complete excision of the pancreas 

 (also according to Capparelli) is temporarily suspended when 

 extremely fresh pancreatic juice or pulp from the pancreas of an 

 animal recently killed during digestion, and diluted with physio- 

 logical saline, is injected into the abdominal cavity ; (e) that, lastly, 

 the content of glucose does not differ perceptibly (according to 

 Pal's work in Strieker's laboratory) in the blood flowing to and 

 from the pancreas. 



All these facts, on the other hand, agree with the hypothesis 

 of an internal secretion of the pancreas, a hypothesis admitted 

 to-day by almost all who have occupied themselves with this 

 difficult subject (see pp. 98-102). 



The next point is to determine the nature and mode of 

 action of this internal secretion of the pancreas. Does it exert 

 an inhibitor!/ action on glyco genesis, as believed by Montuori, 

 or a glycolytic action, as many others hold ? The data invoked 

 in aid of the first opinion appear to us to be uncertain. On 

 the other hand, facts are not wanting which speak decisively 

 in favour of the second hypothesis. Among the latter must be 

 emphasised the important phenomenon observed by Colasanti 

 and Bonanni (1897) in their investigation of metabolism in 

 two dogs before and after removal of the pancreas. They saw 

 that the carbonic acid excreted by these animals after complete 

 ablation of the pancreas was less by -J-f than that excreted 

 normally, i.e. before the operation. While under normal conditions 

 dog A eliminated 640 c.c. carbonic acid, and dog B 636 c.c. 

 carbonic acid, per hour and per kilo, body-weight ; after de- 

 pancreatisation, under the same conditions, the lirst eliminated 

 494 c.c., the second 230 c.c. The difference is a loss of ---. This 

 result, which agrees with the observations of Schmidt, Livierato, 

 Boecker and Bartels, on diabetics, can only be due to a diminished 



