OF ALCOHOL UPON DIGESTION. 95 



In connection with this " secondary " secretion of gastric 

 juice due to the presence of alcohol in the small intestine, it is 

 to be noted that Macfadyen, Nencki, and Sieber * found among 

 the bacteria normally present in this portion of the alimentary 

 canal species which give rise to a production of ethyl alcohol 

 from carbohydrates ingested. 



D. Experiments with Alcoholic Beverages. It might natu- 

 rally be assumed that the action of the various alcoholic bever- 

 ages on gastric secretion would be similar, qualitatively, to 

 that of their common constituent ethyl alcohol. Previous 

 investigation, however, has shown that the influence of these 

 liquors on the purely chemical processes of digestion is not 

 necessarily proportionate to their content of alcohol, f hence it 

 seemed desirable to study the effect of a number of typical 

 liquors on secretion, by the method of the previous experi- 

 ments. This we have done with the following results : 



XIII. 21 vi, 1897. Dog. Weight, 10.7 Idles. 



Introduced 50 c.c. sherry + 25 c.c. water (14 per cent alcohol) at 



10.20 A. M. 

 Contents removed at 2.15 P. M. = 3$ hrs. 



Volume of fluid recovered from stomach = 160 c.c. = 213 per cent 

 original volume. 



Analysis of stomach contents gave : 



Total acidity 0.367 per cent. 



FreeHCl ....... 0.300 



Loosely combined HC1 . . 0.020 



Salts 0.047 



Total solids 1.72 



XIV. 2 vi, 1897. Dog. Weight, 18.5 kilos. 



Introduced 50 c.c. whisky + 100 c.c. water (16 per cent alcohol) 



at 11.15 A. M. 

 Contents removed at 3 p. M. = 3| hrs. 



Volume of fluid recovered from stomach = 320 c.c. = 213 per cent 

 original volume. 



* Macfadyen, Nencki, and Sieber : Archiv f . experimentelle Pathologic und 

 Pharmakologie, 1891, xxviii, p. 311. 

 t Chittenden and Mendel ; loc.cit. 



