Artificial Digestion

A new vegetable substance has reecntly baca dwcoveréd by M. M. Wurtz & Bouehat, wliicli dUaohrw unat oempletaly in a few liours, thus f'urni.-hing the first instance ei perfsot artiBcial digestión. The solution obtaiiied can be 08ed u an article of diet, and is at once absorbed into the systein. The substance used in these experiment was extracted by a simple process f'rom the juico ui' a tree, and can be procured in large quantiiies. Since tlie researches of' J)arwin an'l llooker OD insectivorous plants were published, it has beon known that certain vegetable juicos were oapable of dissolving animal subsUnoes ; hut the dipestive fernii'in has oot been lairl iu any quBDtity. and the (liscnvcry was of little practical valué. Now, howevcr, it will not only be possible for those with weak stomachs to direst their food before eatíog it, but thcy will also be able to distinguish between those arricies of' food whieh can be readily dissolved, and those whieh are insoluole,