90 



Scientific Proceedings (105). 



ductus lymphaticus communis dexter, besides the thoracic duct, to 

 avoid possible anastomoses. In general, their findings are the 

 same as those of Frank and they also conclude that the blood can 

 absorb products of fat digestion directly from the intestine. 



d'Errico 1 approached the subject from a different angle. He 

 determined the amount of ether extract in simultaneous samples 

 of portal and jugular blood of an animal near the height of fat 

 absorption after a meal. He finds more ether extract in the portal 

 than the jugular blood and concludes that direct absorption by 

 the blood takes place. 



In criticizing d'Errico's work we must say that ether extract 

 from blood and blood fat are not the same, 2 as d'Errico's own re- 

 sults show, since he finds even after feeding fat, not more than a 

 maximum of 412 mg. of ether extract per 100 c.c. of blood, while 

 the " total fat " of fasting blood is usually 600 mg. or more. d'Er- 

 rico's ether extract was probably principally the cholesterol, plus 

 small quantities of other lipoids. The work of the other authors 

 mentioned above all has this in common, that the conditions of 

 the experiment are far removed from the normal, and in several 

 cases the analytical technique leaves much to be desired. 



In connection with another research, our attention was called 

 to the fact that this point had never been settled and we under- 

 took a few experiments similar to those of d'Errico, but using 

 the newer analytical procedures of Bloor 1 for the determination of 

 cholesterol, fatty acids and phosphatides. In the phosphatide 

 determination, Kober's strychinine molybdate reagent was used. 

 Hemoglobin was determined by the acid hematin method using a 

 Dubosq or Kober colorimeter. In the earlier experiments, ether 

 was used as anesthetic, but since ether inhibits the absorption of 

 fats quite markedly, we dispensed with the anesthetic and in- 

 stead stunned the dog by a quick blow on the occiput. This, 

 when properly executed, is quite humane and very suitable for the 

 requirements of our experiments. The following is the protocol 

 of one of the experiments of which there were five in all. 



1 d'Errico, Arch, fisiol., 1907, IV, 513. 



"See Klein and Dinkin, Zeitschr. physiol. Chem., 1914 (XCII), 302; Kumagawa 

 and Suto, Biochem. Zeitschr., 1908, VIII, 212; HUrthle, Zlschr. physiol. Chem., 1895. 

 XXI. 331. 



