Scientific Proceedings. 



13 



12 (155) 



The influence of water on gastric secretion and the chemical 

 affinity of mucus for HC1 in the stomach. 



By N. B. FOSTER and A. V. S. LAMBERT. 



[From the Laboratory of Biological Chemistry of Columbia Uni- 

 versity, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons .] 



Pawlow called attention to water as a stimulant of gastric secre- 

 tion but the degrees and limitations of stimulation produced by- 

 water in food Pawlow has not recorded. Using dogs with Pawlow 

 fistulas, it was observed that with definite amounts of cracker meal 

 as food, the amount and rate of gastric secretion depend to some 

 extent on the amount of water given the dog with his meal, i. e. f 

 when small amounts of water are given, the secretion is slow and 

 scanty. If larger quantities of water are mixed in the food the 

 secretion is more abundant. 



The degree of acidity of gastric juice depends upon the amount 

 of secretion. When this is considerable it is much more acid than 

 when the secretion is scanty. Pawlow is of the opinion that the 

 degree of acidity of the gastric juice is constant ; this can hardly 

 be correct, however, for the total acidity changes from hour to 

 hour. The proportion of free acid depends upon the amount of 

 mucus secreted, since mucus protein like other proteins combines 

 with HC1. Mucus in the presence of pepsin combines with HC1 

 to a considerable extent and undergoes digestion, with formation 

 of proteoses. 



13 (156) 



The action of the electric current on toxin and antitoxin. 



By CYRUS W. FIELD and OSCAR TEAGUE. 



[From the Research Laboratory of the Department of Health, of 



New York City.'] 



In the early days of antitoxin it was thought that it might be 

 possible to obtain antitoxin by passing an electric current through 

 toxin. It was soon realized, however, that the fluid around the 

 anode neutralized toxin by virtue of the acid formed about this 



