CARBOHYDRATE ABSORPTION. 511 



and in these cases a part of the dissolved bodies passes into the chylous 

 vessels and the thoracic duct (GINSBERG and RdHMANN 1 ). 



The passage of sugar into the urine when at one time large quantities of 

 sugar are taken and the assimilation limit is exceeded, can be best explained 

 by the assumption that a part of the .sugar escaped the liver and passed 

 into the large circulation, or that the liver did not have time to retain 

 the sugar and transform it into glycogen. According to the observa- 

 tions of FILIPPI 2 upon dogs with ECK fistula, it seems as if the role of 

 the liver in these cases is too highly estimated. An animal with ECK 

 fistula could take an unlimited quantity of starch without glycosuria 

 occurring. The assimilation limit was in these cases somewhat lower, 

 but qualitatively they behave like normal animals and with increasing 

 sugar supply they could also retain increasing quantities of sugar. 



The introduction of larger quantities of sugar into the intestine at 

 one time can readily cause a disturbance with diarrheal evacuations 

 of the intestine. If the carbohydrate is introduced in the form of starch, 

 then very large quantities may be absorbed without causing any dis- 

 turbance, and the absorption may be very complete. RUBNER found 

 the following: On partaking 508-670 grams of carbohydrates, as wheat 

 bread, per day the part not absorbed amounted to only 0.8-2.6 per cent. 

 For peas, where 357-588 grams were eaten, the loss was 3.6-7 per cent, 

 and for potatoes (718 grams) 7.6 per cent. CONSTANTINIDI found on 

 partaking 367-380 grams of carbohydrates, chiefly as potatoes, a loss 

 of only 0.4-0.7 per cent. In the experiments of RUBNER, as also of 

 HULTGREN and LANDERGREN, 3 with rye bread the utilization of car- 

 bohydrates was less complete, and the loss in a few cases rose even to 

 10.4-10.9 per cent. It at least follows from the experiments made thus 

 far that man can absorb more than 500 grams of carbohydrates per diem 

 without difficulty. 



We generally consider the pancreas as the most important organ in 

 the digestion and absorption of amylaceous bodies, and it is a question 

 how these bodies are absorbed after the extirpation of the pancreas. 

 As on the absorption of proteins, so also on the absorption of starch, 

 the observations have given variable results. In certain cases the absorp- 

 tion was not impaired, while in others it was, on the contrary, rather 

 diminished, and with dogs devoid of pancreas it has been found that the 

 absorption was decreased to 50 per cent of the starch partaken (ROSEN- 

 BERG, CAVAZZAXI 4 ) . 



1 Ginsberg, Pfliiger's Arch., 44; Rohmann, ibid., 41. 



2 Zeitschr. f. Biol., 49 and 50. 



3 Rubner, Zeitschr. f. Biologic, 15 and 19; Constantinidi, ibid., 23; Hultgren and 

 Landergren, 1. c. 



4 Cavazzani, Centralbl. f. PhysioL, 7. See footnote 2, p. 508; also Lombroso, 

 Hofmeister's Beitrage, 8. 



