MACDONNELL ON ANIMAL DEXTRINE. 
541 
taining sugar. I have verified the same fact in cats. It has been 
argued, however, that nevertheless the saccharine and amylaceous 
matters are not formed within the system, but enter from without ; 
that herbivorous animals find in vegetables the amylaceous prin¬ 
ciple ; that it accumulates in their tissues and thus gets entrance to 
the organisms of the carnivora which devour their flesh. 
That this is not the case I have already shown by a careful 
examination of the flesh meat of our markets. It is certain that the 
mutton, beef, veal, rabbit flesh, &c. of our markets contain ordinarily 
not a vestige of amyloid substance. When, however, adult animals 
are fed on food containing much starch or sugar the muscular tissue 
becomes impregnated with dextrine having all the characters of the 
amyloid substance of Bernard. A pigeon was fed for six days on 
starch and sugar; the liver yielded 25 5 grains of amyloid substance, 
and 5 grains of an identical material were obtained from the muscles 
of the breast. Lawson has demonstrated its presence in the flesh of 
horses; it exists also in the flesh of hybernating animals, but not 
abundantly, and whether in this case it is merely an impregnation of 
the muscles with a material formed in excess by the liver, or whether 
it is an arrest of the normal nutritive process of muscle resulting 
from inactivity it is not possible to determine with exactness. 
Dr. Davy has shown how great is the effect of diet containing 
much starch and sugar in the amount of amyloid substance formed by 
the liver. Indeed it is surprising, and almost incredible, to what a 
degree and with what rapidity the liver may be increased and di¬ 
minished in bulk by the administration of particular kinds of diet. 
How far this is due to the quantity of animal dextrine stored up in 
the liver the following table will show. 
Table showing the quantity of amyloid substance found in the entire 
liver of animals fed for some days on the following materials. 
On a diet con¬ 
sisting almost 
exclusively of 
sugar & starch. 
On a diet of 
fat. 
On a diet of 
glutin bread. 
On a diet of 
gelatine. 
Dogs . . 
980 grs. 
Hardly any 
125 grs. 
Hone 
Bats . . 
7 „ 
JNone 
3 „ 
55 
Pigeons 
25i „ 
. 1 „ 
V 
Babbits 
45 „ 
}} 
„ 
55 
It would appear, therefore, that Prof. Bernard is in error in 
asserting that the animal organism can prepare amyloid substance 
from gelatine.* According to my observations the livers of dogs and 
* L’Union Medicale, No, 35, p. 554, 1859. 
