SUCCUS ENTERICUS. I.VJ 



facilitate the transition from gastric to intestinal digestion. It 

 arrests the action of the pepsin, which is injurious to the ferments 

 of the pancreatic juice, and favours the ferments of the latter ; in 

 particular the fat-splitting ferment. 



Still more indefinite and unsatisfactory than the teaching concern- 

 ing the digestive functions of the bile, was, until recent times, that re- 

 garding the physiology of the succus entericus. Judging from extreme 

 opinions, its existence was even doubtful, or at least all digestive influence 

 was denied to it. It may, indeed, be authoritatively said that there is 

 not a single point connected with the physiology of the succus entericus 

 which has not at some time been contested. Only in one particular 

 are all investigators agreed namely, that the digestive action of the 

 fluid is supposed to be very slight, almost of insignificant importance. 

 It was only considered to have a weak solvent efl'ect on starch, and 

 an inverting action on sugar. But quite recently it has been the good 

 fortune of our laboratory (experiments of Dr. N. P. Sckepowalnikow) 

 at one stroke, to elevate to a high position, the importance of the succus 

 entericus as a digestive fluid a fluid long known to physiologists, but 

 for which they had discovered no precise use. This research was started 

 with the same question which proved to be so fruitful in the case of the 

 bile. Does not the succus entericus also function as a second adjuvant 

 to the pancreatic juice ? This seemed all the more likely, since closer 

 investigation showed very strikingly that in the favouring influence of 

 bile upon pancreatic juice, the fat -splitting ferment was much more 

 powerfully aided than either of the other two. It was, therefore, not 

 unlikely that the succus entericus would be found to actuate one or 

 other of the remaining ferments, in a similar manner to the way in 

 which the bile influenced the fat-splitting. Our anticipations have 

 been fully confirmed by facts. The succus entericus undoubtedly pos- 

 sesses the striking capability of augmenting the activity of the pancreatic 

 ferments, and more especially the proteolytic. In the case of the latter, 

 the increase often reaches to an astonishing degree. He who has 

 once convinced himself of this by experiment will never doubt for a 

 moment that this accentuating influence is the most important function 

 of the succus entericus. In view of the novelty and importance of our 

 discovery, I think it necessary to demonstrate to you the fact itself. Upon 

 a screen the shadows of two vessels are thrown, the one contains pure 

 pancreatic juice, the other a mixture of pancreatic and intestinal juice. 

 Pieces of fibrin of equal size are placed in the two vessels. Now while 

 in the second, three pieces of fibrin, one after the other, have been fully 

 digested before your eyes, in the first vessel the solution of fibrin has 



