THE PANCREAS AS AN ENDOCRIN GLAND 705 



but that it is probable that the pancreas in some way affects the organs 

 that use sugar normally, by freeing affinities by which the sugar molecule 

 can be stored up. He considers it also possible that the sugar normally 

 circulates in some loosely bound combination not available for the oxida- 

 tion processes, and it is the function of the pancreas to break up this 

 combination and make possible the normal oxidation of the sugar. 

 Nommes, in 1898, had in mind the occurrence in the blood of a glycolytic 

 ferment which he called "glycolysin." 



The importance of the discovery of pancreatic diabetes by von Mering 

 and Minkowski stimulated the development of an extraordinary interest 

 in the anatomy and physiology of this -organ. The suggestion that the 

 glycosuria resulted from the loss of some kind of a pancreatic function 

 other than that of the intestinal function aroused at once great opposition, 

 particularly from de Dominicis, who unfortunately, no doubt, suffered 

 in obtaining credit for his own independent discovery of pancreatic dia- 

 betes because of his wrong interpretation of the facts. He fought vig- 

 orously Minkowski' s view, and attributed the glycosuria following ex- 

 tirpation of the gland to an absorption of poisons arising in the intestines 

 from food-materials imperfectly digested as the result of the absence of 

 the pancreatic juice. He claimed to be able to produce glycosuria in 

 normal dogs, through the injection of a fecal extract or duodenal con- 

 tents from depancreatized dogs. The transplantation experiments of 

 Minkowski, Hedon and Thiroloix showed the incorrectness of de Domin- 

 icis' view, although he refused to be convinced. The investigators men- 

 tioned drew a portion of the pancreas out of the peritoneal cavity and 

 placed it beneath the skin of the anterior abdominal wall. The later re- 

 moval of the remains of the gland did not produce a glycosuria; but 

 when the grafted portion was then also removed severe diabetes followed. 

 Inasmuch as the grafted portion of the gland was still attached to a 

 stalk of mesentery containing blood-vessels and presumably nerves, this 

 experiment was not absolutely convincing to those who opposed the theory 

 of a separate internal secretion, particularly to those who ascribed the 

 experimental glycosuria to an injury of the nervous system. 



Experimental Ligation of Pancreatic Ducts. During the next fif- 

 teen years the investigations as to the nature of the pancreatic function 

 and the explanation of experimental diabetes fall into a number of dis- 

 tinct groups: The effects of ligation of the ducts and destruction of the 

 acinous portions of the gland; the morphology and pathology of the 

 islands of Langerhans; and anatomico-physiological experimental work 

 of various kinds. Based upon these researches various theories were 

 developed: The acinar-theory, the island-theory, the acino-insular theory, 

 and the neurogenic theory of diabetes. The literature concerned with 

 the pancreas and diabetes now becomes so bulky, and there are so many 

 conflicting results and opposing views presented by it that a critical survey 



