Origin and Destiny of Cholesterol in the Animal Organism. 



109 



DESCBIPTION OF PLATE 3. 



Coefficient of diffusion. Drawn by P. Nairn from a preparation of fresh blood cells which 

 have been resting for 10 minutes at 37° C. on an agar film with an index of diffusion 

 of 4. The nucleus of one polymorphonuclear leucocyte has just stained and the cell 

 is showing three small red spots. The nuclei of two large lymphocytes have not yet 

 stained, one cell is showing 1 centrosome and the other 3 eentrosomes. The film also 

 demonstrates an eosinophile leucocyte which is becoming achromatic, i.e., its nucleus 

 has lost its stain ; and one granular red cell which contains two red spots. 2 mm. 

 apochromatic objective, No. 4 eye-piece, 250 mm. draw-tube, 1 amp. Nernst lamp. 



The Origin and Destiny of Cholesterol in the Animal Organism. 

 Part III. — The Absorption of Cholesterol from the Food and 

 its Appearance in the Blood. 



By Chaeles Doree, Lindley Student of the University of London, and 

 J. A. Gardner, Lecturer in Physiological Chemistry, University of 

 London. 



{Communicated by Dr. A. D. Waller, F.R.S. Eeceived December 18, 1908, — Read 



February 11, 1909.) 



In his ' Text-Book of Physiology ' Schafer has suggested that the constant 

 presence of lecithin and cholesterol in the bile may well be associated with 

 the destruction of the red blood corpuscles which contain relatively large 

 amounts of these substances, the latter, according to Hepner,* being present 

 in the free state and not in the form of esters. This idea has recently 

 received strong support from the investigations of Chasoburo Kosumotof 

 on the influence of toluylene diamine on the output of cholesterol in the 

 bile. This reagent was found by Schmiedeberg to produce icterus, and 

 Stadelmann, working in Schmiedeberg's laboratory,* observed that at the 

 beginning of the action of the drug an increased production of bile took 

 place. This, however, was only temporary, and soon the normal physical 

 properties of the bile underwent an alteration ; it became sticky, darker, and 

 more concentrated. 



Afanassiew§ showed that the effect of the drug is to destroy the red blood 



* ' Pihig. Archiv f. d. Ges. Physiol.,' 1898, vol. 73, p. 595. 

 f ' Bioch. Zeit.,' 1908, vol. 13, p. 354. 



\ 'Arch. f. experim. Pathol, u. Pharmak.,' 1881, vol. 14, pp. 231, 422. 

 § ' Zeit. f. klin. Med.,' vol. 6. 



