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Dr. V. Harley. On the Breaking -up 



The manner in which altered or emulsified fat may traverse the 

 intestinal or mncons membrane is not discussed in the present paper, 

 but only the manner and degree of breaking up of ingested milk fat, 

 and the part played in such a process by the pancreas. My former 

 paper showed that there was a great decrease in the absorption of 

 fat when the pancreas was removed, and it is my present purpose to 

 show how much of this is due to the absence of either the fat- 

 splitting ferment, or of the alkaline sodium carbonate of the 

 pancreatic secretion. 



It is not necessary hereto again draw attention to the extracts from 

 the literature of this complicated subject, which I quoted in the 

 previous paper, and which showed that there was reason to believe that 

 neutral fat not only could split up fat acids and glycerine in the 

 absence of pancreatic secretion, but even form soaps. The present 

 research has for its object the precise determination of this point. 



The results obtained may therefore be divided into a normal and a 

 pathological, i.e., according as to whether the pancreatic secretion is 

 present or absent. Thus : — 



1. The normal splitting up of fat in the various parts of the 

 alimentary canal in dogs on a milk diet. 



2. The effect of removal of the pancreas on the splitting up of fat 

 in dogs on a milk diet. 



Before discussing the results, it will be as well to give briefly the 

 method employed. 



Method of Investigation. 



1. Operative Procedure. — The animals were in all cases treated in 

 practically the same manner. The " normal " dogs were allowed to 

 fast for a period of four days, during which time the rectum was 

 washed out with a copious warm water enema, glycerine being after- 

 wards given so as to aid the expulsion of the water. In the cases 

 where the influence of the pancreas on the breaking up of fat was to 

 be investigated after two days' fast, the pancreas was entirely removed 

 under ether, and then the animals allowed to fast another two days, 

 during which time the bowels were again washed out. 



A given quantity of milk was administered in the morning, and 

 seven hours later the dogs were killed by means of chloroform. 

 The abdomen was quickly opened, and ligatures applied to the 

 oesophagus, the pylorus, just above the csecum, and as low down as 

 possible round the rectum. The contents of each part of the alimen- 

 tary canal thus isolated were then carefully collected and separately 

 analysed. 



The milk given in each case was concentrated to a convenient 

 quantity by boiling ; a specimen of this was analysed, so that the 



