HUMAN CHYLE. 161 



given to the patient immediately after the midday meal. The chyle 

 was then collected at two-hour intervals for ten hours after the meal. 

 About 800 c.c. of chyle were thus obtained. The chyle was then 

 saponified by boiling with caustic soda under a reflux condenser 

 and finally the excess of water was distilled away. No paraffin 

 came over in the distillate. The pasty residue was then extracted 

 several times with ether. The ether extract was dried with calcium 

 chloride and filtered ; the filtrate was then distilled to get rid 

 of the ether, nearly one gram of a crystalline residue, cholesterin, 

 being left behind. No trace of paraffin was found in the residue after 

 the removal of the ether. It is thus evident that paraffin does not pass 

 through the walls of the small intestine into the chyle. Henricques 

 and Hausen (14) in experiments conducted with the object of ascertaining 

 whether fats were absorbed as such or in the form of soaps observed that 

 paraffin given to animals by the mouth can be completely recovered from 

 the faeces. I have therefore been able to confirm, in man, the result 

 which they obtained by a different method, in the case of animals. 



SUMMARY. 



1. Human chyle varies in colour from a bluish-white to a yellowish 

 tinge as its fat content increases. Its reaction is alkaline and it clots 

 rapidly when removed from the body. Oxalates prevent its clotting. 

 Microscopically, very fine particles of fat, leucocytes arid occasionally a 

 few red corpuscles are visible. As much as four litres of chyle have been 

 obtained in 12 hours. 



2. An average sample of chyle had the following composition : 



Total solids = 3'87 % 



Ash = -83/o. 



Fat = 1'344 gms. per 100 c.c. of chyle (very variable). 



Total Nitrogen = '364 gms. 



Extractive Nitrogen = '0112 gms. 



Lecithin = 4*204 gms. per 100 gms. of ether extract. 



Cholesterin = 5'2 gms. 



The presence of lipase and amylnse was also proved. 



3. The fat content of the chyle varied considerably during the day 

 being greatest six hours after the principal meal. 



4. When a mixture of lower and higher fats are given in the food 

 the ratio of the higher to the lower fats is greater in the chyle than in 

 the food. 



