OBSERVATIONS ON DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION IN FOWLS

¹ The Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen

The blood-sugar of fowls is not reduced to a steady level by prolonged fasting, but is very variable in different fowls, and in the same individuals at different times. Values as far apart as ·150 to ·290 percent. are found after fasts of 24 hours or more. High protein meals cause the blood-sugar to fall slightly but progressively. Meals rich in starch cause increases 5 minutes from ingestion; when they contain coarse starch-poor particles, the blood-sugar fluctuates violently from about an hour after the meal, and often falls below the original value. With finely ground diets, rich in starch, fluctuations are absent. Five minutes after ingestion of a barium meal columns of it were seen (by X-rays) moving very rapidly in the small intestine. Discharge from the gizzard occurs about once a second. Boluses are sent down from the crop at intervals of about 1 to 5 minutes, and require up to 30 seconds to reach the proventriculus. The proventriculus and gizzard were indistinguishable on the screen; they appeared to contract as one viscus.

Our thanks are due to Professor Macleod for his advice in connection with this work.