OF ALCOHOL UPON DIGESTION. 87 



introducing a definite volume of the fluid to be examined 

 into the empty stomach in the manner already indicated in 

 previous experiments. In several cases, dogs with gastric 

 fistulse were employed. The abdomen was quickly sewed up 

 after this operation, chloroform-ether stopped, and the animal 

 allowed entire freedom of movement. The liquid employed 

 was ordinarily warmed gently to avoid the asserted stimulat- 

 ing action of cold fluids on the gastric mucosa.* Ligations of 

 the oesophagus and ossophageal fistulse were avoided, since a 

 somewhat extended experience with gastric fistula dogs, as 

 well as the experiments about to be described, have convinced 

 us, in agreement with Heidenhain's observations,! that under 

 ordinary circumstances, i. e., in the absence of unusual stimuli 

 (and with slightly narcotized animals) the amount of saliva 

 secreted is small at most, and fails to induce any pronounced 

 secretion in the stomach.^ Further, we have found that 

 an unusual flow of saliva is at once readily detected by the 

 physical character of the stomach contents, e. g., frothing, etc. 

 Furthermore, the conditions of our experiments were intended 

 to approach those normally obtaining in the body as nearly 

 as possible ; and finally, a sufficient number of control experi- 

 ments in which water was introduced into the stomach, have 

 left no doubt as to the validity of the method. At the end 

 of three to four hours a period shown by our experiments 

 to cover the digestion time of a test meal for the dog the 

 animal was bled to death, the oesophagus ligated at the lower 

 end, the stomach removed from the body, wiped free from 

 blood, and the contents discharged into a graduated vessel. 

 In the fluid thus obtained, total acidity, free and combined 

 HC1, and acid reacting salts were determined by the method 

 of Topfer ; alcohol was estimated, when present, in the 

 distillate from a definite portion of the gastric contents, by 

 the pycnometer method; total solids were determined by 



* Cf . Kiihne, Lehrbuch der physiol. Chemie, p. 28. 

 t Hermann's Handbuch, v, p. 112. 

 } Compare also the experiment described on page 76. 

 Topfer. Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chemie, 1894, xix, p. 104. 



