1912.] 



On the Nature of Pancreatic Diabetes. 



221 



The following results give the glycolysis actually observed in the blood 

 itself :— 



Percentage of Sugar. Glycolysis per hour. 



A. Normal blood + dextrose — 



1st sample. 2nd sample 3rd sample 



(after H hrs. at 37° C). (after 3 hrs. at 37° C). 

 A 0-62 0-62 0-59 01 per cent. 



B 0-63 0-61 



B. Diabetic blood alone — 



1st sample. 2nd sample (after 1| hrs. at 37° C). 



A 0-22 0-175 ( + pancreatic extract) 0'025 „ 



B 0*22 18 (+ saline solution) 



C. Diabetic blood + dextrose (after use in experiment) — 



(1) 1st sample. 2nd sample (after 1 hr.). 



A 0'36 0-37 0-00 



B 0-38 0-37 



(2) 1st sample. 2nd sample (after 3 hrs.). 



0-33 0-24 0-03 



(3) 1st sample.' 2nd sample (after 2 hrs.). 



0-91 0-89 0-01 „ 



It is possible that a summation of glycolysis and experimental error would 

 account for the highest figures obtained in the series of experiments on the 

 diabetic heart. They show at any rate that the consumption of sugar by 

 the diabetic heart is miuimal or, as we are inclined to believe, entirely 

 absent. 



III. Is this loss of the Power to utilise Sugar in the Diabetic Heart due to the 

 Absence of some Substance normally present in the Heart and Circulating 

 Blood and presumably formed by the Pancreas, or to the Presence of some 

 Toxic Substance accumulating as a result of Extirpation of the Pancreas 

 and preventing the Utilisation of Sugar by the Tissues ? 

 Two sets of experiments point to the former explanation as the most 

 probable. In the first set of experiments the heart from a diabetic animal 

 was fed with blood from a normal animal. In this case the consumption of 

 sugar, even in the first hour, was considerably above that observed in the 

 diabetic hearts fed with diabetic blood, and steadily increased during the 

 next two hours of the experiment. 



Consumption of Sugar by Diabetic Heart Fed with Blood from a 

 Normal Dog. 

 Milligrammes per grm. Heart Muscle. 

 1st hour. 2nd hour. 3rd hour. 



2-9 5-28 8-1 



