234 OF THE PANCREATIC II ICE. 



Brunner,* unless they afforded a salutary admonition, 

 how fatal the practice of medicine may become, if not 

 founded on sound physiology. 



366. The source of this fluid is similar to that of the 

 saliva. It is the pancreasf — by much the largest con- 

 glomerate gland in the system, excepting the breasts, 

 and extremely analogous to the salivary glands in every 

 part of its structure, even in the circumstance of its 

 excretory ducts arising by very minute radicles and 

 uniting into one common duct, which is denominated, 

 from its discoverer, Wirsiingian. 



This duct penetrates the tunics of the duodenum, and 

 supplies the cavity of this intestine with a constant stil- 

 licidium of pancreatic juice. 



367. The excretion of this fluid is augmented by the 

 same causes which affect that of the saliva ; — pressure 

 and stimulus. 



By the former it is emulged, whenever the stomach 

 lies in a state of repletion upon the pancreas. 



By the latter, when fresh and crude chyme enters the 

 duodenum and the bile flows through the opening com- 

 mon to it and the pancreatic fluid. 



368. Its use is to dissolve the chyme, especially if 

 imperfectly digested in the stomach, and at all times, 

 by its great abundance, to assimilate the chyme more 

 to the nature of the fluids and render it fitter for chyli- 

 flcation. 



* Experimenta nova circa pancreas. Amst. 1683. 8ro. 

 t Santorini, Tab. Tost. xiii. fig. 1. 



