Diseases of the Pancreas. 447 



lar to the above. The choHc acid especially is toxic to the nerv- 

 ous structures, but the biliary pigments are not entirely inert; and 

 haemolysis also plays a part {chohonia). Obstruction of bile 

 from the intestine and, too, diminished or completely checked 

 production of bile -{oligocholia, acholia), because of degeneration 

 of the hepatic parenchyma, disturb the formation of the chyme; 

 absorbtion of fat is made difficult in the absence of bile and the 

 loss of the antiseptic influence of bile may cause intestinal catarrh 

 from putrefaction of the ingesta. 



Hepatic diseases also affect the nutrition of the tissues, from 

 bringing about changes in the character of the blood. The Hver 

 is the storehouse for the sugar of the blood (E. Voit), which it 

 elaborates from the material brought to it from the intestine by 

 the portal vein ; it stores up fat, and consumes the debris of broken 

 down corpuscles; and in case of loss of these functions the body 

 must suft'er from the abnormalities in some of its important 

 sources of energy. Further there may be mentioned altera- 

 tions which are brought about by mechanical interference with 

 the blood circulation, as in diffuse induration of the liver; all dis- 

 eases which tend to occlude the blood capillaries and cause com- 

 pression and narrowing of the innumerable intrahepatic ramifica- 

 tions of the portal vein bring about passive congestion of the 

 organs in which the portal vein originates, the stomach, intestine, 

 spleen, and the visceral portion of the peritoneum. From this' 

 condition, dropsical transudation, ascites, is apt to develop. 



Diseases of the Pancreas. — Diseases of this organ causing 

 atrophic changes of the glandular parenchyma, render the 

 formation and discharge (into the intestine) of its secretion 

 impossible, have an important influence upon digestion of proteids 

 and absorbtion of fats, may be followed by diabetes, and lead to 

 serious and progressive emaciation. Especially in case of the 

 horse, an animal possessing a relatively small stomach and only 

 a short period of gastric digestion, the loss of the pancreatic func- 

 tion cannot be compensated for by other glands and gives origin 

 to a fatal cachexia (Siedamgrotzky). Observations on dogs, cats, 

 hogs, rabbits, pigeons, birds of prey, after extirpation of the gland 

 or restriction of its secretion from the intestine by ligature of 

 the duct, have shown that in case of failure of the pancreatic 

 jivce fats are no longer absorbed (only in natural emulsion is 

 fat absorbed to the extent of thirty to forty per cent. ; all the 

 neutral fat reappears in the feces; and only part of the fats is 



