Contributions to the physiology of digestion and to dietetics.

  • Robertson, W. G. Aitchison (William George Aitchison)
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Contributions to the physiology of digestion and to dietetics. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    2. That as digestion proceeds the proportion of invert sugar to the whole sugar increases. 3. That the amount of invert sugar formed is proportional to the acidity of the gastric juice. 4. That the total amount of sugar diminishes as digestion pro- ceeds. III. Normal Gastric Digestion of Invert Sugar. I prepared the invert sugar in the following manner:—One litre of the 20 per cent, solution of pure dry cane sugar was placed in a flask, and to it was added one cubic centimetre of dilute sulphuric acid (1 c. c. ordinary commercial acid to 9 c. c. water). The flask was then placed in a water-bath, and heated for two hours at a temperature of 170°-180° F. After allowing it to cool, it was made up to its original volume by adding water. This 20 per cent, solution of invert sugar gives a rotation of—10° by the polariscope of Zeiss. I proceeded to experiment with this in the same way as I had done with the cane sugar solution, introducing 250 c. c. of the 20 per cent, solution of invert sugar into the previously emptied stomach, and passing the syphon tube after an interval of one and two hours, and withdrawing some of the gastric contents. Digestion of Invert Sugar in the Healthy Stomach. Series. Numbers of c.c. withdrawn after being 1 or 2 liourb in Stom- ach. Total acidity as per cent. HCl Per cent. Invert Sugar remain- ing in fluid withdrawn. Remarks. 1 hour. 2 hours. 1 hour. 2 hours. 1 hour. 2 hours. I. 100 24 0-176 •1276 1-8 1-25 II. 100 0 0-172 0 2-77 0 Stomacli empty at second hour. III. 100 66 0-229 0-164 2-27 0-44 No lactic acid, but other acids present. IV. 120 11 0-182 0-175 3-3 0 No lactic acid. V. 75 0 0156 0 4-5 0 No lactic acid. Stomach empty at second hour. If we compare this table with that of the digestion of cane sugar, we see that there is a very great difference as regards the behaviour of these two sugars in tlie stomach.