158 



THE WORK OF THE DIGESTIVE GLANDS. 



proved itself to be a constant and powerful auxiliary of the pancreatic 

 juice, a fluid which is of such importance for digestion and in itself 

 already so complicated. 



I am also able to bring forward another striking proof of the 

 close relationship between the bile and the pancreatic juice. I pray 

 you to examine the following curves in which the hourly rate of the 

 secretion of pancreatic juice is compared with the entry of bile into the 



a 



Fig. 19. Curves representing in each case the hourly rate of pancreatic 

 secretion (upper series) and the entry of bile into the intestine (lower 

 series) ; a, a^ after the ingestion of milk ; 6, 6j, after flesh, and c, c 1? after 

 bread. In comparing the curves, their general form only is to be taken 

 into account. The scale of the ordinates was different in the different 

 cases. 



intestine under the same conditions of diet. Their similarity is most 

 striking. 



Is it not obvious that the two fluids have a reciprocal chemical rela- 

 tionship towards each other, and in consequence must act hand-in-hand ? 

 Their discharge at the same place into the intestines of many animals, 

 or, as is often the case, their mixture beforehand in a common excre- 

 tory duct, is not without a purpose. 



The experiments dealing with the inhibitory action of bile on pepsin 

 have also been repeated and confirmed by us. We have further deter- 

 mined the extent of this influence, using for our purpose pure gastric 

 juice, and have come to the conclusion that it must have a definite 

 physiological significance. When we link all these facts together 

 we may with certainty conclude that the chief duty of the bile is to 



