Unpublished paper, 'An experimental inquiry into the alleged sugar-forming function of the liver' by Frederick William Pavy

Description

Pavy wishes to explore whether the sugar encountered in the liver after death is a natural representation of the condition during life, or is only the result of a post mortem occurrence. From upwards of sixty observations, it is asserted that the condition of the blood after death can no longer be taken as indicating its state during life. If blood is withdrawn from the right ventricle of the living animal in a natural or tranquil state, there is only a small amount of sugar to be discovered, whilst, if the animal is sacrificed afterwards and blood collected from a fine incision of the ventricle, it will be found to present a strong indication of the presence of sugar. In one of the experiments quoted, there was a barely appreciable reaction in the blood removed during life, and nearly 1 per cent of sugar in the blood collected after death, the animal having been sacrificed immediately after catheterism has been performed.

Annotations in pencil and ink throughout.

Subject: Biology / Physiology

Received 26 May 1858. Read 17 June 1858.

Written by Pavy at Guy's Hospital [London].

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 9 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'An experimental inquiry into the alleged sugar-forming function of the liver'.

Reference number

AP/41/7

Earliest possible date

May 1858

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

83 pages

Format

Manuscript