On the relationship of the liver function to the alcohol metabolism

Abstract

The influences of liver artery ligation and of liver extirpation on the alcohol metabolism were observed by making experiments on rabbits. Ethyl-, methyl-, and isopropyl-alcohol were administered intravenously and the concentration of these alcohols in blood were determined every one hour. The results were as follows : 1) The oxidation of ethyl-alcohol was scarcely influenced by the liver artery ligation. It was clearly restrained by the extirpation, yet still went on after the operation. 2) In the case of methyl-alcohol, the oxidation was nearly checked by the ligation, and completely by the extirpation 3) The oxidation of isopropyl-alcohol was restrained in some degree by the ligation, and was stopped by the extirpation. Of these alcohols, ethyl is the most easily oxidized, next comes isopropyl, and the last methyl-alcohol.