16 CHEMICAL PHYSIOLOGY. 



or sodium hydroxyde, and we are therefore driven to 

 inquire what becomes of it when so produced. 



Before it is carried away from the gastric glands by 

 the blood, a part of this sodium hydroxyde has an 

 important function to perform, namely, to protect the 

 stomach against the corrosive action of its own secre- 

 tion,* It keeps the blood and tissues more alkaline, 

 and prevents the acids and pepsine, which have become 

 more energetic after secretion and mixture with the 

 peptones, from corroding the texture of the stomach. 

 (Such corrosion immediately takes place in cases 

 where the supply of blood to a part of the stomach is 

 interrupted, or where food remains in the stomach 

 undigested after the secretory energy has passed 

 away ; gastric ulcer, hematemesis, chronic dyspepsia, 

 or painful digestion with follicular erosion, and other 

 pathological conditions, are produced in this way.) 

 The sodium hydroxyde is soon transformed into 

 carbonate in the blood, and passes through the gastric 

 veins into the portal, and thus into the liver. When 

 Bile - we analyse bile and add to it a quantity of acid, we 

 precipitate certain matters, namely, the biliary acids 

 formed by the liver, and the cholophaeine ; and if we 

 evaporate the liquid we get a large quantity of sodium 

 combined with the acid which we have added. Sup- 

 posing now we take bile and add to it hydrochloric 

 acid, we find at the conclusion of our experiment that 

 sodium has been combining with chlorine and that we 



* This function was clearly developed and stated by me in ' Brit, and 

 For. Med.-Chir. Review,' October, 1861, p. 429. At a later period it was 

 made the theme of some interesting experimental inquiries by Pavy 

 (' Phil. Trans.,' 1863). 



