340 PHYSIOLOGY: KLEINER AND MELTZER
the end of the dextrose injection, was at least twice as high as that of the
sample taken before the injection. Apparently the removal of the pan-
creas interfered with the power of the circulation to rid itself readily
of a surplus of dextrose. The possible ability of the liver to provide
the circulation with a greater supply of dextrose in the absence of the
pancreas can certainly be no important factor in these results. Our
experiments show, then, that in the presence of the pancreas the circulation
rids itself easily of intravenously introduced dextrose; but that it is unable
to do it satisfactorily in the absence of the pancreas. On the basis of these
facts is it not plausible to assume further that the pancreas exerts exactly
the same influence, when the dextrose in the circulation is being supplied
in some other manner than by a burette into a vein, for instance, by the
liver through its connections with the circulation? Or, in other words,
do not our experiments make the assumption plausible that pancreatic
hyperglycaemia is due to the fact that in the absence of the pancreas the
circulation is unable to dispose properly of the dextrose which it receives
in normal amounts from the liver?
In a third series, the experiments were again made by injecting dex-
trose intravenously in depancreatized dogs. But in these cases a strained
pancreatic emulsion was added to the dextrose solution, and in some
instances the infusion of the pancreatic emulsion was continued for
some time after the infusion of the dextrose was finished. We present
here merely a preliminary communication; we have not yet mastered
all the details of this part of the investigation. But there seems to be
no doubt about the nature and validity of the main result, which is
this: In such experiments, ninety minutes after the end of the dextrose
infusion, the dextrose content of the blood is again at about the same level
as it was before the infusion of the dextrose. Apparently the presence of
a pancreatic emulsion within the blood helps the circulation to get rid
of the surplus of dextrose injected intravenously. In these experiments
it is evident that the effect of the pancreas can be only of a chemical and
not of a nervous nature, or, in other words, it is the internal secretion
of the pancreas which helps the circulation to get rid of the surplus of
dextrose.
To the above results we wish now to add the following preliminary
statement derived from three experiments. In depancreatized animals
the blood of which has shown a marked hyperglycaemia, an intravenous
infusion of a pancreas emulsion brought the dextrose content of the blood
to 0.09% and even 0.08%. The hyperglycaemia returned next day and
could be reduced again to the normal level by an infusion of pancreas
emulsion.