190 BIOLOGY. [BOOK n. 



and entirely. After being thus coagulated and dried the pan- 

 creatine is susceptible of being redissolved into water, and 

 we can by this means obtain an artificial pancreatic juice, and 

 hereby the study of the properties of the pancreatic juice is 

 much facilitated. As the pancreatic juice like the gastric juice 

 is wholly formed in the cells of the pancreatic gland, we can 

 also by simple infusion of the glandular tissue obtain an artificial 

 pancreatic juice. 1 



First of all this liquid emulsionises the fat bodies surely and 

 promptly. In addition it evolves in part some neutral fats 

 (butyrine, olei'ne, margarine, stearine) into glycerine and butyric 

 acid. 



Moreover the pancreatic juice transforms almost instan- 

 taneously the fecules into soluble glycose. 



Lastly it accomplishes the liquefaction of the proteic sub- 

 stances of the chyme. 



We have seen that the bile by itself has a somewhat feeble 

 fluidifying action on the chyme : but from its union with the 

 pancreatic juice, which is besides more active, results a liquid 

 endowed with very energetic properties. 



It is easy for us now to form a sufficiently exact idea of in- 

 testinal digestion. The chyme impregnated with gastric juice, 

 containing proteic matters already attacked by the stomachal 

 liquid, and in addition amyloidal and fat substances not modified, 

 passes the pyloric orifice of the stomach and arrives in the first 

 portion of the small intestine, the duodenum, where in most of 

 the vertebrates it is saturated by the biliary and pancreatic 

 juices. These two liquids being alkaline, the gastric acid is 

 neutralised : the chyme itself becomes alkaline. Moreover in 

 the intestine, as in the stomach, the presence of the alimentary 

 mass causes the congestion of the mucous membrane, an 

 abundant glandular secretion, and more vigorous movements of 



1 Ch. Robin, Lemons sur Us Humeurs, pp. 532, 535. Cl. Bernard, Memoire 

 sur le Pancreas, etc. (Supplement aux Comptes Rendus de VAcademie des 

 Sciences, t. I.) L. Corvisart, Sur une Fonction peu Connue du Pancreas. 



