io8 



Scientific Proceedings (29). 



the use of this method it became evident that the gastric secretion 

 was higher in its content of HC1 early in digestion than it was 

 toward the end and that there was a general lowering of the acid 

 percentage as digestion progressed, in the same way that there 

 was a lessening in the amount of juice secreted. The amount 

 of HC1 in gastric juice in the first two hours of digestion was from 

 0.4 to 0.5 per cent., whereas in the last hour it sometimes fell to 

 0.2 per cent, or slightly lower. 



The acidity of the juice and to some extent the variation in 

 secretion varies with different dogs and with different diets, but 

 with any one animal the response elicited by a certain test meal 

 is remarkably constant, and the curves of acid secretion, like the 

 curves for the amounts of juice secreted, are uniform. 



64 (320) 



The effects of some organic acids on the secretion of gastric 



juice. 



NELLIS B. FOSTER and ADRIAN V. S. LAMBERT. 



\From the Laboratory of Biological Chemistry of Columbia Uni- 

 versity, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. ~\ 

 The acids used in these experiments were given in food to dogs 

 with Pawlow double stomachs. The following acids were employed 

 in concentrations of 0.5 per cent, and 0.2 per cent, in all experi- 

 ments : lactic, butyric, citric, acetic. Lemon juice (7 per cent, citric) 

 and vinegar (4.8 per cent, acetic) were also used. In no case, with 

 the possible exception of vinegar, could a stimulating action on 

 the gastric glands be attributed to the acid liquids administered. 

 The juice secreted, in amount and acid content, was uniform with 

 the controls. In some cases vinegar appeared to excite a more 

 copious secretion of juice but this result was not constant. The 

 distillate from neutralized vinegar acted in the same way as vine- 

 gar, while acetic acid alone appeared to be inert. From this it 

 may be inferred that if vinegar has any effect upon digestion, it is 

 due to the volatile substances which it contains and not to the 

 acetic acid. 



