DIGESTION. 



177 



elements, glandular cells or their nuclei, mucus-corpuscles, and 

 more or less changed cylindrical epithelium. 



The acid reaction of the gastric juice depends on the presence 

 of free acid, which, as we have learned from the investigations of 

 C. SCHMIDT, EICHET, and others, seems, under physiological con- 

 ditions, to consist only of hydrochloric acid. Under special con- 

 ditions, as after a meal rich in carbohydrates, lactic acid occurs in 

 the contents of the stomach, and even acetic and butyric acid. 

 The quantity of free hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice of sheep 

 is about 1.2 p. m., and in dogs 3 p. m. KICHET found as average 

 for 80 determinations of human gastric juice 1.7 p. m. free 

 hydrochloric acid, with a variation between 0.5 and 3 p. m. 

 According to SZABO and EWALD and BOAS, the human gastric 

 juice contains usually about 2-3 p. m. HC1. 



The gastric juice seems to contain no coagulable albumin, but 

 contains traces of peptone or albumose (?). Among the organic 

 bodies a little mucin is found, and besides, especially in man, two 

 enzymes, pepsin and rennet. 



The specific gravity of gastric juice is low, 1.001-1.010. It is 

 therefore correspondingly poor in solids. As examples of the 

 composition of different kinds of gastric juice the analyses of 

 C. SCHMIDT are here given. It must be remarked that the human 

 gastric juice analyzed was diluted by saliva and water and should 

 therefore not be considered as normal. The figures are parts per 

 1000. 





