CHEMICAL DYNAMICS OF ANIMAL NUTRITION 165 



the liver tissue becomes strongly acid, and degrades so rapidly that its 

 functions are thrown out of gear, as in the case of an Eck fistula, and 

 that instead of taking up ammonia after it is formed in digestion, 

 and converting it into urea, it allows this body to circulate in the 

 blood-stream and be eliminated in the urine. It is in these cases 

 accompanied by lactic acid ; the concurrent production of these two 

 bodies is, in this case, no protective mechanism ; it is a process which 

 is pathological in the strictest sense of the word. 



In such cases, the above researches would seem to indicate as a 

 remedy the intravenous infection of carbonate of soda. 



Another point of interest is the cause of toxaemia in such cases. 

 Preliminary experiments have shown that the liver in an incipient stage 

 of autolysis is intensely toxic. It remains to be determined whether 

 this toxicity is due to the products of autolysis. Further researches 

 will be undertaken for the elucidation of this point. 



It remains also to apply the methods and principles already 

 enunciated to be investigated of pathological cases ; much light might 

 be thrown on the pathogenesis of various diseases of the liver by the 

 investigation of the autolysis, under various conditions, of organs from 

 the post-mortem room. Such a field of research must be left to patho- 

 logists. 



There are also various other problems which await solution. 

 What is the mechanism, e.g., of restitution of tissue after autolysis ? 

 Preliminary researches [Part V, Series III (/") ] show that the products 

 of tryptic digestion of caseine exert a powerful inhibitory effect on 

 autolysis ; it is possible, as already suggested, that the process may be 

 made reversible. 



Light might also be thrown on various problems of metabolism 

 by the production ot anti-sera to autolytic enzymes, and the investiga- 

 tion of the physiological properties of these sera. 



Lastly, much remains to be ascertained as to the functions of the 

 residual nitrogen ; the investigation of the chemical differences of act- 

 ing and secreting glands should throw some light on this subject. 



It is proposed to continue research in these directions. 



