CHAPTER V. 



INFLUENCE OF THE FOOD ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE 



TISSUES. 



THE disposal of the protein, both in its natural and in the abiuret con- 

 dition has now been dealt with. The question now arises, if the food 

 be of a highly specific nature will it influence in any way the composi- 

 tion of the protein of the tissues. 



Evidence from Feeding Experiments. 



Abderhalden and Samuely (26) were the first to offer direct evi- 

 dence on this question. They attempted to influence the composition 

 of the serum protein by feeding a horse with gliadin which contained 

 36*5 per cent, of glutamic acid, whereas the serum globulin of the horse 

 contained only 8*5 per cent, and the serum albumin 7-7 per cent. The 

 tyrosine content of gliadin is 2*37 per cent. In their experiments they 

 tested the tyrosine and glutamic acid content of (i) normal serum 

 protein, (2) serum protein after starvation, and (3) serum protein after 

 feeding with gliadin. The horse was firstly thoroughly bled, it then 

 fasted for eight days, and was subsequently fed with gliadin, which was 

 given in large quantities, for two days (Experiment I). After a period 

 of rest it fasted again for six days (Experiment II). Blood was re- 

 moved from the horse in Experiment I both during and after the 

 gliadin feeding, but only after feeding in Experiment II. The tyrosine 

 and glutamic acid content of the serum protein removed at the different 

 periods is given in the following table : 



56 



