PANCREATIC JUICE. 333 



tity, but enough to determine its alkaline reaction and -its 

 partial coagulability by heat. 1 In 1824, Leuret and Las- 

 saigne obtained a considerable quantity of pancreatic juice 

 from the horse, by incising the abdomen, exposing the ductus 

 communis choledicus with the pancreatic duct, and introdu- 

 cing into the latter a gum-elastic tube, which was secured in 

 place by a ligature. They found the fluid alkaline, and made 

 an analysis of it, which is now quoted in many works on phys- 

 iology. The digestive properties of the secretion were not 

 observed. 2 Tiedemann and Gmelin obtained fluid from the 

 pancreatic duct of a dog, by drawing out the duodenum and 

 pancreas by an opening into the abdomen, and introducing 

 into the duct a small glass tube. In this way they collected 

 a little over one hundred and fifty grains in four hours. The 

 first few grains of fluid were reddish and had an acid reac- 

 tion. The greater part was clear and faintly alkaline, this re- 

 action, however being attributed to a change in the secretion, 

 owing to the sufferings of the animal. 3 These authors give 

 no idea of the physiological properties of the fluid. 



The above represents the state of the science concerning 

 the function and properties of the pancreatic juice prior to 

 1846, when Bernard first made his experiments on this sub- 

 ject. I^ot only was the function of the pancreas unknown, 

 but the ideas concerning the composition of the pancreatic 

 juice were vague and uncertain and based upon contradic- 

 tory observations. Bernard was the first to obtain normal 

 pancreatic juice from a living animal and give a definite 

 idea of its properties and functions ; a fact which it is proper 

 to particularly insist upon, inasmuch as since his discovery 



1 MAGENDIE, Precis filemenlaire de Physiologic, Paris, 1836, 4me edition, 

 tome ii., p. 470. An account of this observation is also given in a previous 

 edition, which appeared in 1817. 



2 LEURET ET LASSAIGNE, Recherches Physiologiques et Chimiques pour servir 

 d VHistoire de la Digestion, Paris, 1825, p. 102 et seq. 



3 TIEDEMANN ET GMELIN, Recherches Experimentales Physiologiques et Chi- 

 miques svr la Digestion, Paris, 1827, premiere partie, p. 27 et seq. 



