172 THE WORK OF THE DIGESTIVE GLANDS. 



probability, is the special point of attack of the disorder ; a matter 

 which, so far as I know, has not hitherto been discovered or defined in 

 the clinical investigation of the disease. 



In the accidental illnesses of our experiment-animals we have 

 frequently observed an augmented or 'a diminished activity of the 

 digestive glands when contrasted with the normal. It has often 

 occurred to us that these opposite conditions represented different 

 phases of one and the same affection. Which of them, however, is to be 

 regarded as the primary and which the secondary ? Our experiments, 

 in which diseased conditions of the large or small stomach were experi- 

 mentally provoked, have shown with great regularity that the first re- 

 action of the peptic glands to a powerful and unusual influence consists 

 in a marked depression of their activity, lasting for several hours or even 

 days. This depression is of a reflex nature. It is due to the influence 

 of the inhibitory nervous system, which is thrown into activity by the 

 more than ordinary degree of stimulation. When one, for instance, pours 

 ice-cold water, or a solution of nitrate of silver, into the large stomach 

 (experiments of Dr. J. C. Soborow), the secretion which is subsequently 

 produced by an ordinary meal is less than normal, more especially in the 

 first hours. This happens not only in the large cavity but also in the 

 small, the walls of which latter at no time come into direct contact with 

 the injurious substance. The thought suggests itself that, as soon as the 

 stomach encounters an unaccustomed stimulus, the activity of the peptic 

 glands is at once inhibited by means of a special reflex, whose object is 

 to protect the deeply lying cells still further against harmful influence. 

 The only exception to this, is observed after the action of strong 

 alcohol. When alcohol is poured into the large stomach, an extremely 

 free secretion of gastric juice begins from the small cavity. Conversely, 

 by acting on the latter, the alcohol is also able to set up an abundant 

 secretion in the large. (Experiments of Dr. J. C. Sawriew.) 



Further, in the disorders of the large stomach, which we several 

 times produced, we have often distinctly observed that the isolated 

 miniature organ, which here represents a healthy part of the large 

 stomach manifested a striking compensatory activity. (Experiments 

 of Dr. J. C. /Soborow.) As soon as a diminution of secretion below 

 the normal appeared in the large stomach an increase was seen in 

 the small. On one occasion, especially when, by the application of 

 very hot water, we had completely arrested the work of the large 

 stomach, for several days, an enormous activity gradually developed 

 in the small cavity, which finally produced as much secretion as 

 the large did normally, at lea>t for some kinds of food. As a 

 general rule, the size of the small stomach, judging by the amount of 

 secretion under normal circumstances, was about one-tenth of the large. 



