CHANGES DURING PREGNANCY 



539 



Table to show the fcetal weight and amount of foetal glycogen in the second 

 half of pregnancy (rabbit). In the animal killed at the twenty-sixth day, 

 the pregnancy was abnormal, one foetus being dead and the others badly 

 developed. In the last also the foetuses were unusually small. 



The amount of carbohydrate oxidised each day can be calculated 

 from Bohr's figures. The oxygen consumption for a foetus weighing 

 30 gm. is 0-14 c.e. per minute. This is sufficient to oxidise 0-00017 

 gm. of sugar, or 0-245 gm. per day, which is equal to 0-227 gm. of 

 glycogen. Hence for six foetuses, the average number, 1-862 gm. are 

 required for combustion each day. In addition, an average of 

 0-3 gm. of glycogen is deposited in them daily near the end of 

 pregnancy. Hence the total daily requirement for the unborn young 

 at this stage is 1'662 gm. of glycogen. A small additional amount of 

 carbohydrate is required for the daily increasing blood-serum, for the 

 liquor amnii in the rabbit, and for the manufacture of mucin and 

 other glycoproteins. 



{d.) Excretion of Carbohydrates in Pregnancy : Glycoswria and 

 JLactosiiria. — Blot^ was the first to postulate the occurrence of a 

 "physiological glycosuria" in pregnancy. Kirsten^ found sugar in 

 the urine in the majority of cases of pregnancy and labour, and 

 regularly in the puerperium. Hofmeister^ first discussed the 

 relationship of the glycosuria to milk secretion, and proved that 

 the sugar excreted in the puerperium was lactose.* The sugar is 

 in extremely small amounts, but above the normal. Lemaire ^ found 



' Blot, "De la glycosurie physiologique chez les femmes en couches, etc.," 

 Com/pt. Rend. Soc. Biol., vol. xliii., 1856. 



^ Kirsten, " Ueber das Vorkommen von Zucker im Harn der Schwangeren,'' 

 Monatsschr. f. Oeburtsh. u. Frauenhrankh., vol. ix., 1857. 



^ Hofmeister, "Ueber Laktosurie," Zeitich. f. physiol. Chein., vol. i., 1877. 



* Corroborated by Kaltenbach (" Die Laktosurie der Wochnerinnen," Zeitsch. 

 f. Gebtirtsh. u. Oyndk., vol. iv.) and many others. "^ 



* Lemaire, "Ueber das Vorkommen von Milohzucker," Zeitsch. f. physiol. 

 GJiem., vol. xxi., 1895. 



