Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1892. 
Chemistry  of  Digestion. 
245 
the  algebraic  expression  of  the  power  of  chemical  reaction  of  the 
stomach.  This  sum  is  called  "  chlorhydric  "  by  the  authors.  The 
important  part,  as  we  have  already  seen,  belongs  to  C  in  a  test  meal 
composed  of  solids  and  liquids ;  it  remains  then  small  or  nil.  In 
healthy  man  after  a  test  meal  there  is  always  a  certain  quantity  of 
free  HC1,  and  all  things  being  equal  that  quantity  varies  little,  and 
its  relation  to  C  is  constant.  This  constancy  of  the  sum  H  -j-  C,  and 
•of  the  relation  H  to  C  in  normal  conditions  ought  to  serve  as  the 
basis  for  the  examination  and  classification  of  pathological  liquids. 
The  presence  of  H  is  not  indispensable  to  a  normal  digestion, 
perhaps  it  is  useful  as  an  antiseptic  ;  its  absence  ought  not  to  be  con- 
sidered as  abnormal,  because  it  may  disappear  according  to  require- 
ments and  enter  into  immediate  communication  with  albuminoid 
matters. 
Albuminoid  matters,  in  order  to  become  peptones,  form  first, 
hydrochloric  combinations  ;  HC1  results  from  a  reaction  on  the  spot, 
and  in  order  to  ascertain  the  quantity  of  HC1,  useful  or  utilizable 
(H-f-C),  we  must  first  test  the  total  chlorine  and  the  fixed  chlorine. 
To  test  the  amount  of  peptonisation  it  is  necessary  to  ascertain  the 
quantity  of  organic  chlorine  compounds  (C)  and  H  -j-  C  ;  we  thus 
obtain  an  indirect  measure  of  the  peptones,  because  the  quantity  of 
peptones  formed  is  directly  proportional  to  the  intensity  of  the 
digestive  reactions.  Generally,  raised  amounts  of  C  correspond  to 
very  distinct  biuret  reactions ;  when  H  is  very  high,  C  remaining 
normal  or  feeble,  the  biuret  reaction  is  also  very  strong. 
A — that  is,  the  total  acidity  and  the  free  HC1  -j-  the  combined 
organic  HC1 — have  a  pretty  close  equivalence,  which  is  explained 
by  the  existence  of  amido-acids  in  the  gastric  juice.  In  the  patho- 
logical state  numerous  exceptions  to  this  law  of  equivalence  are 
found.  In  fact,  a  certain  number  of  conditions  may  cause  the  acidity 
to  vary,  for  instance,  the  nature  of  the  food  or  abnormal  fermenta- 
tions of  the  contents  of  the  stomach.  The  variations  of  a  make  the 
value  and  the  course  of  these  alterations  perceptible. 
The  authors  think  that  chloride  of  sodium  intervenes  directly  in 
the  primordial  act  of  peptonisation.  "  Free  HQ  is  only  then  a  pro- 
duction consecutive  and  secondary  to  total  peptonisation."  Start- 
ing from  this  point  they  instance  the  constancy  of  F  during  all  the 
maximum  digestive  period  and  the  increase  of  this  value  due  the 
secondary  phase.    The  components  of  F  (CI  and  Na)  each  play 
