62 



Scientific Proceedings (125) 



Abstracts of Communications, Western New York 



Branch. 



Third meeting. 



Geneva, New York, October 14, 1922 



26 (1986) 



The comparative fat content of the portal vein as determined 

 hy the presence of fat particles with the darkfield microscope. 



By PIERRE A. FISH 



[From Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.] 



Although it is generally stated that not all of the fat ingested 

 can be recovered from the thoracic duct, there is no very satisfac- 

 tory evidence to show that fat is absorbed directly into the blood 

 under normal conditions. Fat absorption through the villi into 

 the iacteals and thoracic duct as the "molecular basis of chyle" 

 and the entrance of these minute particles (chylomicrons) into 

 the venous system has been known since the time of Boyle, Hew- 

 son and Gulliver, and is not difficult of demonstration. 



The use of the darkfield microscope has been of distinct value 

 in studying the increase and decrease of the chylomicrons during, 

 and after, the period of fat absorption with the use of the ocular 

 micrometer, following the method of Gage for counting these 

 minute particles with approximate accuracy. 



In connection with other study upon fat absorption, observa- 

 tions were made upon the chylomicron content of the blood of 

 the aorta, jugular and portal veins at different periods of diges- 

 tion with results as shown in the following table : 



CHYLOMICRONS 



Animal 



Kitten 



Kitten 



Kitten 



Cat 



Kitten 



Kitten 



Cat 



T>°g 



'>og 



Cat 



Cat 



Kitten (GOO gms.). 



Digestion 



6 hours 

 4 hours 



7 hours 

 3% hours 



6 hours 



7 hours 

 18 1 /*) hours 



4 hours 



24 hours 



5y 2 hours 



4 hours 



4 hours 



Aorta 



75 

 132 

 192 

 142 



35 

 121 



90 



13 



11 

 8 



100.2 

 56.2 



Jugular V. 



117 



26 

 100 

 100 



15 



152.2 

 66.8 



Portal V. 



59 

 48 



126 

 45 

 1 

 7G 



22 

 5 



1.5 

 2 



33.4 

 15 



