The ammonia of the gastric juice. (Preliminary communication.)

Abstract

Recently Carlson 1 reported some observations on the occurrence of NH₃ in the gastric juice of man and of dogs. Further observations have been made and a few of the results are given below.

Three series of experiments were conducted: (a) On dogs with Pawlow stomachs; (b) on normal human individuals, and (c) on human individuals with gastric disturbances.

The NH₃-content of the gastric juice of normal dogs varied in different dogs between 0.5-3.5 mg. NH₃ per 100 c.c. of juice, there being some variation from day to day, and at different times during the same day in the same dog. The juice was collected for a period before feeding and one-hour periods after feeding. The addition of NH₄Cl to the dogs'food caused in each instance an increase in the NH₃-content of the gastric juice collected from the Pawlow pouch. Three dogs, in which gastric ulcers had been produced experimentally showed an increase in the NH₃-content at irregular intervals. After a time two of these dogs refused to eat and the juice collected during this time showed a progressively increasing content of NH₃. At autopsy these dogs showed either active or healed ulcers, usually located in the Pawlow pouch.

b. The experiments on normal healthy individuals were conducted on men who were connected with the laboratory. The juice was collected by means of the Rhefus stomach tube before and after feeding on Ewald meal. With three exceptions the NH₃-content of the juices from these men ranged between 0.5-3.5 mg. of NH₃ per 100 C.C. of juice. In these three men the NH₃-content ranged between 1-15 mg. NH₃ per 100 C.C. of juice.

A series of experiments was then conducted on one of these men with high NH₃-content.