HUMAN CHYLE. 



157 



II, THE DIURNAL VARIATION IN THE FAT CONTENT OF THE CHYLE. 



In estimating the diurnal variation in the fat content of the chyle 

 the patient received his usual daily diet. For breakfast he had fish or 

 e.ggs with tea, bread and butter at 8 a.m. Dinner at noon consisted 

 usually of meat, vegetables, and pudding. Tea, with bread and butter, 

 was supplied at 4 p.m. and, in addition, at 7 p.m. the patient received a 

 supper consisting of bread and meat or cheese. He complained of 

 always being hungry and ate his meals with relish ; he, however, disliked 

 fat and ate as little of it as possible. 



The chyle was collected in the following manner : As much as 



possible was allowed to flow away at 

 10 p.m. on the day before the experi- 

 ment. At 8.30 a.m. on the following 

 day the first sample was collected, this 

 represented the chyle which had ac- 

 cumulated during the night. The next 

 sample was collected at 10.30 a.m. and 

 so on at two-hourly intervals throughout 

 the day. The last sample was taken at 

 8.30 p.m. The fat in 50 c.c. of each of 

 these samples was then estimated by 

 the method already described with the 

 following result : 



Time at which 

 sample was taken 



8.30 a.m. 

 10.30 a.m. 

 12.30 p.m. 



2.30 p.m. 



4.30 p.m. 



6.30 p.m. 



8.30 p.m. 



Gins, of fat in (a) 50 c.c. of chyle 



or, in (6) 100 c.c. of chyle 



(a) (b) ~" 



710 1-420 



697 1-394 



645 1-290 



788 1-576 



882 1-764 



2-455 4-910 



1-357 2-714 



Thus with the ordinary diet as given 

 above the fat content of the chyle rises 



8i 10? I2i fi- 4j 6i %-jTiML. rapidly to a maximum about 6 or 7 hours 

 Fig. l. after the chief meal of the day. This 



of course corresponds with the time at 



which the food reaches the small intestine and at which fat-digestion 

 is at its full height. 



