PANCREATIC SECRETION AND DIET. 



39 



By strength of juice in the above we mean the square of the 

 number of millimetres in the column of dissolved proteid or starch, 

 or the square of the number of cubic centimetres of standard alkaline 

 solution employed. By total quantity of ferment units, \ve mean the 

 product of the strength of the juice multiplied by the quantity of the 

 same in cubic centimetres. The amounts of food chosen for comparison, 

 represent as before, equivalents of nitrogen. 



We see here again that each sort of food determines the secretion of a 

 definite quantity of pancreatic juice, while the results, as regards the 

 ferments, are truly striking. In this respect, also, each kind of food 

 has its own particular kind of juice. The greatest amount of proteid 

 ferment is found in "milk juice," less in " bread" and "flesh juice" ; 

 the most amylolytic ferment occurs in " bread juice," less in " milk " and 

 in " flesh juice." On the other hand, " bread juice " is extraordinarily 

 poor in fat-splitting ferment ; " milk-juice," on the contrary, very rich, 

 " flesh juice " taking an intermediate position. It is clear, without 

 anything further, that, as regards the two latter ferments, the pro- 

 perties of the juice correspond with the requirements of the food. The 

 starch-holding diet receives a juice rich in amylolytic ferment, the fat- 

 containing, a juice with much fat-splitting ferment. This is manifest 

 from the strength of the juice, but still more so from the absolute 

 quantities of ferment. (See table.) 



The behaviour of the proteid ferment may, however, at the out- 

 set puzzle you. In the work of the gastric glands we saw exactly the 

 contrary ; there we found the weakest, here, however, the strongest 

 solution of ferment poured out on milk. When, however, we take the 

 quantity of juice into consideration, we find here also that the adminis- 

 tration of like quantities of proteid in the form of bread, flesh and 

 milk calls forth a secretion, as regards the first, of 11)78, as regards the 

 second of 1502, and as regards the third of 1085 ferment units; that 

 is to say, vegetable-proteid likewise demands from the pancreas the 

 most, and milk-proteid the least ferment. The difference between the 

 stomach and pancreas is limited to this, that the former pours out its 

 ferment in very concentrated form upon bread, the latter in very dilute 



