G. F. Barker—Physiological Chemistry. 393 
Art, XLI.—Notices of papers in Physiological Chemistry — 
No. Il; by Georce F, Barker, M.D. 
5. On the formation of Sugar in the Liver. 
(Continued from page 270.) 
(57.) On the 19th of December, Coin presented a memoir on 
the relation of animal glycogeny to the production and destruc- 
tion of fats.* His researches were extended to include the in- 
fluence of this function on the composition of the chyle, the 
lymph and the blood, as well as the liver-tissue. With regard 
to the latter, he concludes as follows: (1) The sugar of the 
liver, at least in part, is manifestly derived from the saccharine 
or starchy food taken by the herbivora, or from those elements 
ma mixed diet, being carried to this organ by the portal vein 
and the hepatic artery. (2) This sugar appears to be also a pro- 
duct of the transformation of the fatty matters which accumu- 
late in the hepatic cellules and in the intra-cellular spaces. (3) 
It appears in much larger proportion in fat animals than in lean 
Ones ; though the quantity continues to increase only up to a 
Certain limit, and even diminishes very notably in livers which 
have themselves undergone fatty degeneration. (4) In the case 
of animals who have no fatty tissues to be absorbed, the amount 
of sugar diminishes from the first moments of abstinence, and 
Soon entirely disappears. (5) When the animal is fat, on the 
Contrary the sugar is constantly renewed and so maintained in 
considerable amount, even when food is withheld, if only the 
hormal temperature of the body be preserved. , 
(58.) On the 2d of February, 1860, G. Hartey communi- 
cated to the Royal Society* the results of some experiments 
Made in connection with Dr. Sharpey at University College, 
London, to test the truth of Pavy’s views. The first step was 
to ascertain the presence of sugar in the blood under favorable 
Conditions of diet. Three-fourths of an ounce of the carotid 
blood of a terrier dog, killed three hours after a diet of bread, 
milk, and boiled liver, was added to four times as much water, 
to which a few drops of acetic acid had been added, and which 
_ Was kept boiling in a capsule ; when the albumin was com- 
pletely coagulated, the liquid was filtered and tested with potas- 
Sie hydrate, both with and without cupric sulphate ; the reac- 
on for sugar was obtained. A second portion of blood after 
Standing 35 minutes gave a similar result. To obtain an ani-_ 
mal whose condition was normal, a dog which had been running — 
at large was taken for a second experiment, and to avoid the 
* C.R., xlix, 981. + Proc. Roy. Soc., x, 289. 
Am. Jour. Sci.—Seconp Series, Vou. XLVII, No. 141—Mar, 1869. 
26 
