92 



A STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE 



absorption of alcohol goes on quite rapidly. In our own 

 experiments, the alcohol used had entirely disappeared from 

 the stomach in the course of the experiments ; the question 

 of absorption will, however, be referred to in another connec- 

 tion. With five per cent alcohol the increase in the volume 

 of the gastric contents is noticeable, becoming very pronounced 

 with the stronger percentages of alcohol. The increase in 

 total solids gives confirmation of stimulated secretion, as does 

 also the increase in acidity. It must be remembered, further, 

 that the increase in acidity shown by the figures is a relative 

 one ; expressed absolutely in grams, the total acid secreted 

 is obviously increased in far greater degree than the per- 

 centage figures indicate. The specific action of alcohol is 

 strikingly shown in Experiment VIII, in which the conditions 

 permitted of comparative experiments with water and alcohol 

 on the same animal, with the following results : 



COMPARISON OF THE TWO EXPERIMENTS (VIIL a, /5). 



A comparison of the proteolytic activity of the two secre- 

 tions by Griitzner's carmine-fibrin method showed a decidedly 

 greater digestive power in the case of the " water " secretion. 

 Much stress cannot be placed, however, on a single experi- 

 ment. The gastric fluids obtained in the experiments with 

 alcohol possessed strong proteolytic properties in every case 

 examined. 



In view of this pronounced action of alcohol on gastric 

 secretion it seemed desirable to ascertain something more 

 definite regarding the way in which this process is provoked. 

 The control experiments with water gave evidence that the 

 mere contact of the fluid with the stomach mucosa could not 



