Section 2. 

 The Pancreas. 



The fluid secreted by the pancreas performs certain important 

 functions in digestion. It has been remarked that there is 

 scarcely any animal which does not possess a secretion allied to 

 the pancreatic ; even those invertebrates without a peptic or 

 biliary apparatus are in possession of one. From the resemblance 

 of the pancreas to the salivary glands, it has been termed the 

 ' abdominal salivary gland.' 



The pancreatic fluid from herbivora can only be obtained with 

 extreme difficulty ; to establish a pancreatic fistula in the horse 

 is a formidable operation, necessitating an incision from the 

 sternum to the pubis and the turning back of the bowels. Colin 

 has established these fistulae both in the horse and ox, but the 

 profound impression on the nervous system produced by such 

 extensive interference must considerably affect the character of 

 the secretion and the amount manufactured. 



Pancreatic fluid is an alkaline, clear, colourless fluid like water, 

 and though viscid in some animals is not so in the horse or ox. 

 It has a saltish, unpleasant taste, and a specific gravity of about 

 1 010 ; the viscid secretion of the dog has a specific gravity of 

 1030. The following analysis of the fluid in the horse is given 

 by Hoppe-Seyler : 



Water - 98- 25 



/ Organic matter - o* 88, containing o* 86 of fer- 

 o j- j J ments. 



'4 1 Salts - - - o- 86, containing much sodium 



I phosphate. 



Schmidt found the fluid of the dog to have the following 

 composition • 



Water - 90*00 



( Organic matter - g- 04 

 Solids - 9-92- Salts - - o # 88, containing much sodium 



I chloride. 



The salts present are sodium chloride in abundance, potassium 

 chloride in traces, sodium carbonate and phosphate, calcium and 

 magnesium phosphates in small quantities. To the sodium 

 carbonate is due the strong alkaline reaction. The organic solids 



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