158 PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL NUTRITION. 
into the circulation of sodium lactate. The results per kilogram 
and quarter hour were as follows: 
Before Injection. After Injection. 
Quarter hours. Injec- Quarter hours. 
tion. 
Fourth.| Third. | Second.| First. First. |Second.| Third. | Fourth. 
c.c. c.c. c.c. c.c. c.c. c.c. c.c. c.c.” C.c. 
Apr. 19...| 184.7] 184.5) 190.1] 183.3] 203.4) 185.4) 199.0) 188.6] 182.2 
“ 20...| 155.3} 142.2) 164.1} 155.6] 168.3} 156.6] 158.5) 164.4] 160.0 
«22a | 142.1] 132.6} 143.5} 138.5} 147.2} 153.6] 153.3) 155.4] 157.4 
«  22b 155.4) 157.4) ..... 157.1] 164.8} 155.3] 160.7) 147.1) 154.1 
« 28...| 159.2} 150.7] 158.5} 155.0) 178.1] 163.2) 158.8) 172.9) 153.9 
May 2...) 176.6] 185.0) 158.2) 173.6} 171.8] 161.8) 173.4] 163.3] 180.2 
ef 4...) 156.1) 167.6} 159.9) 152.4} 166.2) 156.0) 164.2) 159.0) 160.1 
Totals. .. .|1129.6|1120.0! 974.3]1115.5)1199 . 8/1131 .9]1167 .9|1150.711147.9 
Averages.| 161.4 160.0 162.4 159.4/ 171.4] 161.7 166.8 164.4 164.0 
160.8 164.2 
It being well established that lactic acid is readily oxidized in 
the body (compare p. 27), it is evident that in these experiments it 
must have protected the body fat from being metabolized, since 
otherwise the consumption of oxygen would have increased. Simi- 
lar, although not decisive, results were obtained with sodium buty- 
rate. On the other hand, sodium lactate administered by the 
mouth caused more or less increase in the oxygen cousumption, 
Wolfers * has reported confirmatory results with sodium lactate. 
Munk { injected sodium butyrate into the veins of fasting rabbits 
curarized to eliminate the effects of muscular activity and secure 
uniform metabolism, and determined the respiratory exchange by 
the Zuntz method (p. 72). The oxidation of sodium butyrate 
according to the equation. 
C,H,NaO, +50,=3CO,+3H,0+NaHCo, 
corresponds to a respiratory quotient of 0.6, which is less than that 
* Arch. ges. Physiol., 32, 222. 
ft Ibid., 46, 322. 
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