THE SMALL INTESTINE. II 7 



10. The Pancreas lies along the lower side of the stom- 

 ach. Its duct opens into the small intestine at the same 

 place as the bile-duct. The secretion of the pancreas is 

 named pancreatic juice. It is much like saliva in appear- 

 ance, being transparent and colorless. The pancreatic 

 juice is one of -the most important digestive liquids. It 

 acts upon starch as saliva does, turning it into sugar; it 

 dissolves albuminous matters, thus completing the action 

 of the gastric juice; and, more powerfully than bile, it 

 promotes the absorption of fatty food. 



11. Digestion in the Small Intestine. The soft half- 

 digested food-mass which enters the intestine from the 

 stomach, is named chyme. It is at once mixed with bile 

 and pancreatic juice, and then, as it slowly passes along, 

 has the secretion of the innumerable little glands of the 

 mucous membrane of the small intestine added to it. 



The result of the combined action of these liquids is 

 that any starch which escaped digestion in the mouth, is 

 turned into sugar; any albuminous substances which 

 had not been fully dissolved in the stomach are finally 

 digested; fats, which are not acted upon at all by either 

 saliva or gastric juice, are prepared for absorption. 

 Digestion in the small intestine is on the whole more 

 important than that which takes place in the mouth or 

 stomach. The product of intestinal digestion is a highly 

 nutritious creamy liquid containing all the nourishing 

 matters of the food. This liquid is named chyle. It is 



10. Position of the pancreas ? Opening of its duct ? Name of its 

 secretion ? Appearance ? Value ? Action on various foodstuffs ? 



11. What is chyme ? What is at once mixed with it in the intes- 

 tine ? What afterwards ? How do these liquids act on starch ? On 

 albumens ? On fats? Where does the most important part of diges- 

 tion occur ? What is said of the liquid produced by digestion in the 

 small intestine ? Its name ? For what is it ready ? 



