No. 582] SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNAL CONDITIONS 353 



the organism, and a rate which is provided for by the 

 changing distribution of the blood. 



Not all the physico-chemical conditions of cell activity 

 are as constant as those discussed in the second division 

 of this paper. Nor does the experimental interference 

 with certain body structures leading to known departures 

 from the usual conditions always entail serious results. 

 As an instance of this we may cite the experiments of 

 Ogata, 45 who investigated the rate of absorption of pro- 

 tein when fed by the mouth as compared with its rate of 

 absorption when introduced directly into the intestine 

 through a fistula. Taking the nitrogen output in the 

 urine as the expression of the rate of absorption, the 

 nitrogen output rose much more rapidly after direct in- 

 troduction of the meat into the intestine than it did when 

 the meat was fed by mouth. Although the absorption of 

 the food was apparently more rapid than usual, the capac- 

 ity for adjustment on the part of the organism was not 

 exceeded. We may mention in passing that one function 

 of the stomach may be to act as a storehouse and provide 

 for a more gradual absorption of food than would other- 

 wise occur. In the terminology of this paper, there is a 

 less sudden entrance of constituents tending toward a 

 disturbance of the equilibrium when the stomach is 

 present than when it is absent. If food is administered 

 in small portions and in a finely divided state after com- 

 plete removal of the stomach, life goes on as usual 

 (Czerny). But one is hardly justified in saying that, be- 

 cause great and profound changes do not occur in the 

 organism after extirpation of the stomach, the stomach 

 has no important function. 



A detailed consideration of the inconstant or variable 

 conditions and of the manner and extent to which changes 

 in the environment can influence all internal conditions, 

 must be deferred for another communication. Enough 

 has been said in these pages to show, in outline at least, 

 the essential uniformity of some important internal con- 



