The digestion and assimilation of fat in the human body : an epitome of laboratory notes on physiological and chemical experiments bearing on this subject / by H. Critchett Bartlett.

  • Bartlett, H. Critchett (Henry Critchett)
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The digestion and assimilation of fat in the human body : an epitome of laboratory notes on physiological and chemical experiments bearing on this subject / by H. Critchett Bartlett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    when digestion of food containing fat has commenced from three to seven hours previously. My own experience points to the superiority of the fluid obtained as it flows through the pancreatic duct at that period of digestion, but I found in practice a larger quantity is at once drawn from the gland, taken during vigorous digestion, if it is instantly subjected to maceration. Difficulties were thrown in my way by the butchers and slaughtermen to whom I applied for sweetbreads from the animals under the necessary conditions. I was assured that all the pigs, calves, and other beasts killed for food are previously fasted so long that the upper intestines are always empty. This is regarded as of great importance by the butchers; but as, when fasting, the pancreatic glands only furnish fluids yielding the smallest proportion of active principles, the scruples of the slaughtermen had to be overcome. At length I succeeded in procuring an occasional porcine pancreas, which* I could depend upon being extracted from the carcase as I desired, but it could only be relied on in this respect when the chyle in the intestine was verified by ocular demonstration. The pancreatic glands were passed through one of Nye’s masticating machines until effectually pulped; this magma being exhausted by successive washings with distilled water at 40° F., was filtered at that temperature to prevent the least decomposition. The natural healthy secretion, as it flows through the pancreatic duct, contains about 9 per cent, of solids. These are composed of albuminoid matter soluble in water, albuminoid matter not soluble in alcohol, fatty matter, extractive matters and salts soluble in alcohol, together with other salts, chiefly of sodium. All these components