Amju^iSoarm- }  Cod  Liver  Oil.  365 
given  in  the  food  was  completely  voided  as  partly  free  and  partly 
combined  with  alkalies.  Of  course,  this  last  result  also  disposes  of 
the  theory  of  partial  splitting  up  of  the  fat  to  permit  of  the  rest 
being  emulsionized  by  the  alkaline  secretion  of  the  bowels. 
Does  then  the  pancreas  act  by  stimulating  the  bowel's  powers  of 
absorption  ?  No,  for  milk  is  absorbed  after  extirpation  of  the  pan- 
creas. It  seems  then  the  absorption  depends  on  the  shape  in  which 
the  fat  comes  in  contact  with  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  intes- 
tine. In  milk  the  form  is  that  of  a  fine  emulsion,  differing  (and  this 
is  an  important  point)  from  a  soap  emulsion  in  the  extraordinary 
minuteness  of  the  globules,  and  in  its  power  of  stability  (halt- 
barkeit).  It  remains  unaffected  in  an  acid  solution,  whilst  an  alkali 
emulsion  liberates  its  fat  so  that  the  globules  run  together  to  form 
large  drops.    A  pancreas  solution  behaves  like  the  milk. 
Minkowski  then  has  got  thus  far  :  "  All  fats,  with  the  exception 
of  milk,  require  to  be  acted  on  by  the  pancreas  before  they  can 
be  absorbed."  The  minute  action,  the  method  of  absorption,  still 
remains  unsolved. 
It  is  some  months  until  the  secretion  of  the  pancreas  becomes 
active  in  a  child,  and  hence,  it  is  supposed,  milk  is  made  absorbable 
without  it 
A  curious  result  of  the  experiments  was,  that  when  the  pancreas 
was  but  partially  extirpated,  and  the  part  left  not  in  connection  with 
the  bowel,  the  absorption  of  fat  was  diminished,  but  it  by  no  means 
ceased. 
COD  LIVER  OIL.1 
By  M.  Gautier  and  L.  Mourgues. 
Richter,  Schenck,  De  Jongh,  Trousseau  and  Pidoux,  Walsche, 
Oberghaus,  Bouchardat,  and  a  great  number  of  other  French,  Dutch 
and  German  medical  men  consider  the  light-colored  and  brown  cod 
liver  oils  to  be  the  most  efficacious.  On  the  other  hand,  English 
doctors  generally,  arid  a  number  of  medical  men  in  other  countries 
recommend  by  preference  the  white  oils,  on  the  ground  that  they 
are  more  acceptable  to  patients,  especially  to  infants,  who  are  the 
1  Translated  from  an  extract  from  a  work  by  Messrs.  Gautier  and  Mourgues, 
published  in  the  Journal  de  Pharmacie,  March  1,  p.  253.  Reprinted  from  P/rat . 
Jour,  and  Trans.,  June  14,  p.  1018. 
