THE PANCREATIC JU'lCti. 89 



salivary glands in every part of its structure, even in the circum- 

 stance of its excretory ducts arising by very minute radicles 

 and uniting into one common duct, which is denominated, from its 

 discoverer Wirsiingian. 



This duct penetrates the tunics of the duodenum, and sup- 

 plies the cavity of this intestine with a constant stillicidium of 

 pancreatic juice." k 



Pancreas, a, pan- 

 creatic duct: b, cho- 

 ledochus : c, junc- 

 tion of the two and 

 their termination in 

 the duodenum: d, 

 a portion of the du- 

 odenum divided. 



The quantity of the pancreatic juice cannot be accurately as- 

 certained. It is, no doubt, produced copiously during chylifi- 

 cation, and cannot be expected to flow readily at other times, or 

 naturally under the torments of an experiment. 



" The excretion of this fluid is augmented by the same causes 

 which affect that of the saliva, pressure and stimulus. 



" By the former it is emulged, whenever the stomach lies in a 

 state of repletion upon the pancreas. 



" The stimuli are the fresh and crude chyme entering the duo- 

 denum, and the bile flowing through the opening common to it 

 and the pancreatic fluid." 



The use of the pancreatic juice is unknown, but Tiedemann 

 and Gmelin conceive that it animalises the unazotised principles 

 of vegetable food. The organ is certainly much larger propor- 

 tionately in herbivorous than in carnivorous animals. They 

 assign the same purpose to the saliva. 



k Mr. Kiernan states, that in some subjects the internal surface of the duct is 

 studded with mucous follicles ; whereas none are ever found in the ducts of the 

 parotid or submaxillary glands. Phil. Trans. 1833. p. 728. 



