of Fat in the Alimentary Canal. 



265 



The free fat acids combined with soaps in the normal dog were only 

 3*14 per cent, of the total fat present, while those dogs in which the 

 pancreas had previously been removed had no less than 5 '79 per 

 cent. 



This is a most interesting fact, for in spite of the absence of the 

 alkaline pancreatic secretion, it is found that not only nearly the 

 normal quantity of free fat acids are present, but a considerable 

 increase of fat acids have formed soaps, so that the intestines have 

 been able to secrete a sufficiency of alkali substances to form soaps. 



The contents of the large intestine in the second group of cases 

 resemble each other far more closely. In fact, in the case of the free 

 fat acids, the quantity present in both the normal control dogs and those 

 in which the pancreas had previously been removed is, for all prac- 

 tical purposes, equal, the control dogs having 58*65 per cent, of fat, 

 in the form of free fat acid, while those dogs in which no pancreatic 

 secretion had reached the intestines, 53'32 per cent. The effect 

 of the want of pancreatic secretion, although exhibited to a small 

 extent in the small intestine, and causing a diminution in the quan- 

 tity of fat acids present, was no longer apparent in the large intes- 

 tine. 



The quantity of fat acids present as soaps in the large intestine 

 varies, although not to a greater extent than was the case in the 

 small intestine. Those dogs in which the pancreas had been pre- 

 viously removed contained 13*41 per cent, of the total fat in the form 

 of fat acids combined as soaps, while 7T9 per cent, only was in this 

 form in those dogs which were used as control experiments. 



VOL. LXI. 



