SACCHARINE FUNCTION OF THE LIVER. 
211 
favorable circumstances as regarded diet, sugar could be 
found in the circulation. The following experiment proved 
this : 
Exp. ].—From the carotid artery of a rough terrier dog, 
three hours after being fed on bread, milk, and boiled liver, 
a portion of blood, equal to about three fourths of an 
ounce, was withdrawn. This, on being treated in the man¬ 
ner explained, gave distinct evidence of the presence of 
sugar. A second portion of blood, after standing thirty- 
five minutes in a room of moderate temperature, yielded a 
similar result. 
As in this instance a few* seconds elapsed between the 
withdrawal of the first portion of blood and its treatment 
with the boiling acidulated water, and as it was possible that 
in these few seconds the sugar might have been formed from 
the glucogen present in the circulation, we (Professor 
Sharpey and myself) thought it advisable in our next experi¬ 
ment to allow' the blood to flow T directly from the artery into 
the boiling mixture, and thereby avoid the possibility of 
sugar being produced by the transformation of glucogen 
after the removal of the blood from the body. It v'as further 
desired to operate on an animal in what might be considered 
its natural condition as to food. Accordingly one that had been 
running at large w T as selected, and the following experiment 
performed: 
Exp. 2.—Into the left carotid artery of a small cocker dog 
was inserted a canula w 7 ith a stopcock. The animal was 
then placed so as to allow the blood to flow r directly into the 
boiling acidulated w r ater. The clear filtered liquid from this 
blood became of a yellow' tint on being boiled with soda, 
and gave a red precipitate with the sulphate of copper and 
potash, thereby indicating the presence of sugar. Two ounces 
of blood from the same animal w*ere similarly tested after 
the blood had stood twenty-four hours in a room of moderate 
temperature, and the result obtained was the same as w ? ith 
the first portion. 
The next experiment w r as made on an animal under con¬ 
ditions, as regards food, unfavorable for the production of 
sugar. In order, too, to avoid any chance of injuring the 
sympathetic nerve during the operation, and thereby favour¬ 
ing the formation of sugar in the body, the blood was with¬ 
drawn from the right femoral artery instead of the carotid. 
The following are the particulars of the experiment: 
Exp . 3.—A good-sized dog was fed solely on flesh during 
four days. Three hours after the last meal, which consisted 
of half a pound of boiled horseflesh, an ounce and a half of 
