ABSORPTION OF WATER FROM THE SMALL INTESTINE AT VARIOUS DEGREES OF ANOXEMIA

Abstract

Barbitalized cats and dogs were used in evenly matched pairs. A loop of gut, with intact blood supply, was isolated in each animal, and filled with water. One animal was placed in a steel respiratory chamber and subjected to anoxemia; the other was kept as a control. At the end of 30 min. the loops were removed and the amt. of absorption determined. Animals subjected to an oxygen % of 15.37 showed no appreciable change from the normal. Those subjected to 12.28% oxygen showed 8% less absorption than the controls. At 10.56% oxygen the anoxemic - animals showed 38% more absorption than did the controls. Those subjected to 8.35% oxygen absorbed 17% more than the controls, and lastly, at 7.03% oxygen, the anoxemic animals absorbed 12% more than the controls. The presence of an adequate supply of oxygen is apparently not an important factor in the passage of water through the gut wall. The increase in absorption at higher degrees of anoxemia was found to be correlated with a decrease in the alkalinity of the blood.