GASTRIC JUICE. 29 



hot water, and acetic, phosphoric, and hydrochloric acids, in com- 

 bination with potash, soda, lime, and magnesia. 



The gastric juice of a horse, collected by irritating its empty 

 stomach with pebbles, was found by Gmelin to contain : 



Water . . . 984-00 



Solid residue . . 16-00 



Organic constituents . 10-52 



Salts soluble in water . 5-02 



Salts insoluble in water . 0*46 



[Braconnot has examined the gastric juice collected by means 

 of sponges from the stomachs of dogs, but his results are not 

 very definitely given.] 



Hence it appears that the principal constituents of the acid 

 gastric juice are pepsin ; a substance not yet carefully examined, 

 but bearing a close resemblance to extract of flesh ; an unex- 

 amined substance resembling salivary matter; free acids, es- 

 pecially muriatic acid; mucus; sometimes a little albumen; 

 salts, especially alkaline chlorides, muriate of ammonia, (according 

 to Hiinefeld,) and a small quantity of earthy salts. 



[M. Blondlot has recently published a treatise on Digestion, 1 

 detailing very numerous experiments made upon dogs, in 

 which fistulous openings into the stomach were maintained for 

 upwards of two years. The gastric juice was obtained in very 

 large quantities. Submitted to distillation, the fluid passing 

 over did not exhibit the slightest acid reaction, whilst the re- 

 sidue in the retort was always strongly acid. Hence he con- 

 cludes that the acid of the gastric fluid is neither hydrochloric 

 nor acetic acid, since both these are volatile. The gastric fluid 

 of other animals gave the same result on being distilled. 

 When chalk or any other carbonate of lime was added, no 

 effervescence ensued, proving the acid not to be the lactic. 

 M. Blondlot concludes that the acid reaction of healthy 

 gastric juice is owing to the presence of superphosphate or 

 biphosphate of lime. He adds 1st. That there is no other 

 acid fluid which can remain acid, and fail to decompose car- 

 bonate of lime. 2d. That sulphuric acid, added to gastric juice, 



1 Traite analytique de la Digestion. Paris, 1843. 



