CHANGES DURING PREGNANCY 537 



deutero-albumoses which arise from the involution, i.e. autolysis, 

 of the uterus (Langstein and Neubauer i). As with similar proteins 

 introduced subcutaneously, the organism has not the power of 

 splitting them up, and they are excreted unchanged. Fisehel stated 

 that peptonuria might also occur in pregnancy; but this was 

 disproved by Thomson,^ who also showed that a puerperal peptonuria 

 did not regularly exist. Ehrstrom ^ regards it as a certain indication 

 of fever and sepsis, the peptone being contained in the leucocytes of 

 the purulent .lochia. 



D. The Carhohydrate Metabolism in Pregnancy 



(ffi.) The Ahsoiytion of Carbohydrates hy the Mother. — The starch 

 digestion is said to be retarded in the stomach during pregnancy 

 (Kehrer*). Little is known regarding the absorption of carbo- 

 hydrates, but there is evidence of a tendency to abortion in certain 

 animals on a diet containing them in excess (see p. 522). 



(6.) Carbohydrates of the Maternal Organism. — Lactose may appear 

 in the blood in pregnancy as well as during the lactation period. 

 Lsevulose is not present in the serum of a healthy animal ; but it is 

 normally present in the allantoic fluid of the cow (Giirber and 

 Griinbaum ^), and in the blood-serum of the foetal rabbit,, cow, and 

 sheep (Paton ®). Whether it is the only monosaccharide present has 

 not yet been determined, but it is in sufficient amount to render the 

 serum Itevo-rotatory. The proof that the carbohydrate is lsevulose 

 rests on the Itevo-rotation of the plane of polarised light and the 

 ketone reaction. Doubts have recently been expressed regarding 

 the sufficiency of these two tests. 



The glycogen store of the liver is stated to be increased in 

 pregnancy in the dog (Burlando ''), in the guinea-pig (Maurel ^), and 



1 Langstein and Neubauer, " Autolyse des puerperalen Uterus," Mi'inck. mad. 

 Woch., 1902. 



2 Thomson (H.), "Ueber Peptonurie in der Schwangerschaft und im 

 Wochenbett," Deutsche med. Woch., 1889. 



^ Ehrstrom, "Puerperale Peptonurie," Arch. f. Oyndk., vol. Ixiii., 1901. 



* Kehrer, I)ie physiologischen und pathologisohen Beziehungen dcr lueihliclicn 

 Sexuodorgane zum Traotus Intestmalis,aer\m, 1905. 



^ Giirber and Grunbaum, " Ueber das Vorkommen von Lavulose im Frucht- 

 wasser," Miinch. mad. Woch., 1904. 



'' Paton, , Watson (B. P.), and Kerr, "On the Source of the Amniotic and 

 Allantoic Fluids in Mammals," Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. xlvi., 1907. 



' Burlando, " Behaviour of Hepatic Glycogen during Menstruation, 

 Pregnancy, Puerperium, and Lactation Period," Arch. Ital. di Gitiec, 1906. 



* Maurel, " Des depenses albuminoides pendant la grossesse chez le cobaye," 

 Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., vol. Ixi., 1907. 



