348 STUDIES IN ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGY. 



tion, a putrefying process, resulting not only in softening 

 but actually in liquifying foods. It is customary in some 

 portions of the globe to submit meats to a partial decompo- 

 sition with a view of increasing its digestibility, and it is a 

 common procedure in the manufacture of certain forms of 

 cheese to allow them to proceed very far along in the pro- 

 cess of decay in order to render them more digestible (some 

 say palatable) . Similar processes are constantly at work in 

 the intestine, and so in a very short time, acted upon by 

 untold numbers of these bacteria, putrefactive changes en- 

 sue and the food is hurried down the process of disintegra- 

 tion, and by the digestion finally turned into the proper 

 dialyzable form. But however desirable such a softening may 

 be it is absolutely necessary that this decay do not go be- 

 yond a certain stage. If it does, the food entirely disinte- 

 grates and ceases to have any nutritive value whatever. 

 The point, therefore, is to so regulate and control these 

 putrefactive changes that they shall not endanger the nu- 

 tritive value of the foods, but shall stop at the point where 

 the needs of digestion are accomplished. It is believed 

 that the bile exerts such an influence. Thrown into the in- 

 testine in large amounts it acts as a slight antiseptic, check- 

 ing, and so preventing an undue putrefaction. It is an ob- 

 served fact that in animals whose bile is not allowed to flow 

 into the intestine the decaying influences are much greater 

 and putrefaction is excessive. 



5. The Intestinal Juice. As described in the chapter 

 on the anatomy of the digestive system, the mucous mem- 

 brane of the small intestine contains innumerable little 

 glands called the crypts of L,ieberktihn, the secretion from 

 which is called the intestinal secretion or succus entericus. 

 The glands of Brunner play no part in this secretion. They 

 are, as was pointed out, merely escaped peptic glands, and 

 so have no physiological value in the place where they are 

 found. On account of the scantiness of the intestinal se- 

 cretion, it is exceedingly difficult to get this fluid in even 



