ON THE DIGESTION OF ALCOHOLIC DRINKS. 241 
tecting the presence of crystalline alkaloids in quinoidine, 
and draws attention to the hyposulphites of the other 
vegetable bases. — Chem. Gaz,,from Jahr. fur Prakt. 
Pharm . 
ART. L.— ON THE DIGESTION OF ALCOHOLIC DRINKS; 
AND THEIR FUNCTION IN NUTRITION. 
By MM. BoucHARDAT and Saudras. 
The authors have performed a series of experiments, 
with the view of ascertaining the mode in which alcohol is 
absorbed, and the changes which it undergoes in the system. 
The first experiments were made upon dogs, which were 
killed two hours after the administration of a quantity of 
alcohol. The chyle and blood were separately examined 
for that fluid, which was found totally absent in the former, 
but present in minute quantity in the latter. Acetic acid 
was also detected in the blood by distillation with sulphuric 
acid, after the separation of the alcohol which it contained. 
Owing to the difficulty in getting dogs to take spirituous 
fluids, they afterwards made use of fowls and ducks ; and 
it was found that, in most cases where the blood was taken 
sufficiently soon after the administration of the alcohol, both 
that substance and acetic acid could be detected in it in 
minute quantity. Very rapid absorption also takes place, 
and in one experiment the authors found that three-fourths 
of the spirit administered was absorbed in less than twenty 
minutes. 
It was then ascertained that the quantity of alcohol which 
escapes by the lungs is quite inconsiderable. This was 
