Abstract
A new method for determining a small amount of polyethyleneglycol (mol. wt. about 4, 000) in feces or ingesta was described. The rates of flow and excretion along the swine digestive tract were compared between polyethyleneglycol and chromic oxide used as an indicator for digestion studies.
The former was removed from stomach more rapidly than the latter, and would be delayed in its passage along large intestine owing to absorption of water therein. There was a general agreement between the excretion variations of both indicators. Recoveries during feces collection periods were lower for polyethyleneglycol than for chromic oxide. However, there was no essential difference between both indicators in retention time in the digestive tract, calculated following the idea of Castle.
