100 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
unchanged starch was present, soluble starch and erythrodextrin 
in small amount, and a mere trace of sugar. 
After an interval of two hours, 100 c.c. of a thick whitish- 
yellow fluid were obtained from the stomach. Organic and 
mineral acids were present in nearly equal amounts. The total 
acidity amounted to 0’225 per cent. Here, also, much unchanged 
starch was present, a small amount of erythrodextrin, and a trace 
of sugar. 
III. Pernicious Anaemia . — 250 c.c. of the 5 per cent, starch 
solution were injected into this patient’s stomach with similar 
precautions. 
After the lapse of one hour, 41 c.c. of clear thin fluid were 
withdrawn. The total acidity amounted to O01 per cent, as 
hydrochloric acid. Small amounts of unchanged and soluble 
starch were present, but no erythrodextrin. Eeducing sugar 
amounted to 1 per cent. 
After the lapse of two hours, 67 c.c. of thin yellowish fluid were 
obtained. The acidity was almost nil , amounting to 00036 per 
cent. A trace of starch was present, but erythrodextrin and sugar 
were both absent. 
Gastric Digestion of Starch. 
Healthy. 
Ch. Gastric Catarrh. 
Pernicious Anjemia. 
Hours. 
1 
2 
1 
2 
1 
2 
C.C. withdrawn, . . 
72 
56 
96 
100 
41 
67 
Total acidity, . . . 
0-22 
0-17 
0127 
0-225 
o-oi 
0-0036 
Unchanged starch, . 
much 
little 
much 
much 
small 
amount 
small 
Erythrodextrin,, . . 
plenty 
none 
little 
little 
none 
none 
Sugar, per cent., 
trace 
none 
trace 
trace 
1 per cent. 
none 
Remarks, .... 
turbid 
viscid 
whitish 
thick 
thin 
thin 
A glance at this table shows that, with the acidity of the healthy 
stomach or in pathological conditions where the acidity is not 
diminished, conversion of starch is soon brought to an end in 
the stomach. Whereas, in those conditions where the gastric 
juice has a feeble degree of acidity, the conversion of starch is 
