INTESTINAL JUICE 21$ 



and clear. In a case of fistula into the upper third of the intestine in 

 the human subject, produced by a penetrating wound of the abdomen, 

 Busch found a secretion that was white or of a pale rose-color, rather 

 viscid and strongly alkaline. The maximum proportion of solid matter 

 which it contained was 7.4 and the minimum, 3.87 per cent. The secre- 

 tion apparently could not be obtained in sufficient quantity for ultimate 

 analysis. The nature of this case made it impossible that there should 

 be any admixture of food, pancreatic juice, bile or the secretion of the 

 duodenal glands ; and during the process of digestion, the lower part of 

 the intestine undoubtedly produced a normal fluid. 



From what has been ascertained by experiments on the lower animals 

 and observations on the human subject, the intestinal juice has been 

 shown to possess the following characters : Its quantity in any portion 

 of the mucous membrane that can be examined is small ; but when the 

 extent of the canal is considered, it is evident that the entire quantity 

 of intestinal juice must be considerable. Vella estimated the quantity 

 secreted by a dog in one hour at about n.6 ounces (360 grams). The 

 secretion is viscid and adheres to the mucous membrane. It usually is 

 either colorless or of a pale rose-tint Its reaction is alkaline. In regard 

 to its composition, little of a definite character has been learned. All 

 that can be said is that its solid constituents are in a proportion of about 

 five and a half parts per hundred (Busch) or about two and a half parts 

 per hundred (Thiry). There is reason to believe that in most observa- 

 tions on secretions from the small intestine, the normal intestinal juice 

 was not obtained ; and beyond the fact that the mucous membrane pro- 

 duces a secretion or secretions, nothing is known of the mode of action of 

 its glandular structures. Among the enzymes that have been described, 

 is erepsin (Otto Cohnheim). This is supposed to act on proteoses and 

 peptones, splitting them into simpler substances ; but the statements 

 of observers in regard to this special action are far from satisfactory. 

 As regards the relative importance of secretions by the glands of 

 Brunner and the follicles of Lieberktihn, nothing definite can be said. 



Action of the Intestinal Juice in Digestion. The physiological action 

 of the intestinal juice has lately been studied in dogs by Pawlow, with 

 important results. He discovered, especially in the duodenal secretion, 

 a new ferment to which he gave the name enterokinase. This is a true 

 proteid ferment, its activity being destroyed by boiling. Mixed with the 

 pancreatic juice, the intestinal secretion increases the activity of both 

 the amylolytic and fat-splitting ferments. The duodenal secretion in- 

 creases especially the activity of the proteolytic ferment. 



In 1858 Busch reported a case of fistula in the human subject, in 

 which the opening was supposed to be in the upper third of the small 



