1877.] 



Sugar in relation to the Blood. 



349 



Blood obtained from the Bullock slaughtered by the pole-axe. 



Sugar per 1000 parts. 

 Observation 20 | ^' .^g^ | '596 (mean). 



» 21 [I 11} *» 



22 {j IZ] 1053 ■ 



» {t:\Zj „ 



From, the above results the conclusion may be drawn that the amount 

 of sugar naturally existing in the blood of the sheep and bullock is, 

 speaking roundly, half per 1000, or 1 part in 2000, and in the dog J per 

 1000, or 1| part in 2000. There is a remarkable uniformity, looking at 

 the results as a whole, in the constitution of the different samples. In 

 Bernard's observations there is a striking want of uniformity, and he 

 places his lowest limit at 1 per 1000, and says that in the normal state 

 the amount of sugar varies from 1 to 3 per 1000 (' Comptes Eendus,' 

 1876, p. 1409). 



In my observations upon the dog I have purposely varied the time of 

 collecting the blood in relation to the period of taking food, but have not 

 found that any difference is noticeable whether the collection is made a 

 few hours after food or after an interval of 24 hours. In all the cases 

 the animals have been kept, wmilst under my notice, upon a purely animal 

 diet. 



The comparative state . of arterial and venous blood possesses a bearing 

 of the deepest physiological importance, and Bernard has given results 

 derived from the application of his process which tend to show that an 

 extensive disappearance of sugar takes place whilst the blood is passing 

 from the arterial to the venous system. In the 1 Comptes Eendus ' 

 (t. lxxxiii. no. 6, p. 373) five observations are given referring to the 

 blood of the crural artery and vein, and three to the carotid and jugular. 

 There is great discordancy in the results of the different observations. 

 In one instance, where the least difference is noticeable, the figures stand 

 1*100 part per 1000 for the arterial blood and 1*080 for the venous. In 

 the instance of greatest difference the figures are 1*510 per 1000 for the 

 arterial and *950 for the venous, and this relates to the carotid artery and 

 the jugular vein. The mean difference between arterial and venous blood, 

 drawn from all the observations, is *300 part per 1000 • and if this repre- 

 sented the truth it would undoubtedly imply, as is urged by Bernard, 

 that a sufficient destruction of sugar occurs to harmonize with his glyco- 

 genic theory. 



My own observations, however, supply strikingly antagonistic evidence ; 

 and, looking at Bernard's results, I am forced to the conclusion that 



