INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 223 



lecithin may be absorbed without decomposition. 1 It 

 may thus be a matter of importance to the organism 

 whether the lecithin introduced into the digestive tract 

 is split through the decomposing action of putrefactive 

 bacteria or whether it undergoes absorption. The mere 

 quantity of lecithin introduced would therefore not be a 

 measure of the quantity of cholin formed and absorbed. 

 In the experiments of Nesbit dogs which had been fed 

 for several days upon the yolks of eggs were subjected to 

 an operation in which a ligature was placed about the 

 small intestine just above the ileocsecal valve. In ex- 

 periments of this sort in which the animal lived for several 

 days after operation the intestinal contents were removed 

 and studied for the presence of cholin. On the basis of 

 various reactions for cholin chloride it was determined 

 that the intestinal contents of the animal contained this 

 substance. Some evidence also was obtained to indi- 

 cate that neurin was also formed. I think the evidence 

 on this point is not quite convincing. Nesbit also found 

 evidences of a ptomaine associated with cholin and 

 neurin, the chemical nature of which was left in doubt. 

 These observations render it probable that, provided the 

 intestine contains any considerable quantity of lecithin, 

 cholin, neurin, and perhaps other bases are formed as a 

 result of intestinal obstruction. It must be stated, nev- 

 ertheless, that Nesbit failed to obtain definite evidence 

 that the bases found by him in the intestinal canal of the 

 dog were really toxic. It is clear that much more work 



1 P. von Walter, "Zur Lehre von der Fettresorption," Archiv 

 f. Anat. u. Physiol, Physiol. Abt., p. 329, 1890. 



