PEPSIN 653 



Properties.— k fine, white, or yellowish-white, amorphous 

 powder, or thin, pale yellow or yellowish, transparent or 

 translucent grains or scales, free from any offensive odor, 

 and having a mildly acidulous or slightly saline taste,' 

 usually followed by a suggestion of bitterness. It slowly 

 attracts moisture when exposed to the air. Soluble or for 

 the most part soluble, in about 100 parts of water, with more 

 or less opalescence ; more soluble in water acidulated with 

 hydrochloric acid ; insoluble in alcohol, ether or chloroform. 



Dose. — D., Calves and Foals, gr.x.- 3 i. (.6-4.). 



PREPAEATIONS. 

 Glycerinum Fepaini. (B. P.) 

 (Contains hydrochloric acid, 3 i. = gr.v. pepsin.) 

 ' Dose. — D. , 3 i -ii. 



Pepainum Sar.charatum. 

 Pepsin, 1 ; sugar of milk, 9. A weak preparation of little value. 



Action and Uses. — Pepsin is of some value in the treat- 

 ment of dogs and young animals. It assists the digestion of 

 proteids in the stomach, but has no action on fat or carbo- 

 hydrates of the food. The drug should usually be given 

 along with hydrochloric acid, which converts any pepsinogen, 

 in the gastric tubules, into pepsin. Pepsin contains the 

 unorganized digestive ferment of the gastric juice, but is not 

 by any means the pure ferment, which has never been 

 isolated. 



Much of the commercial pepsin is inert, or is composed 

 largely of mucus, albumin and peptone, which later gives the 

 preparation a musty odor and causes it to absorb moisture 

 when exf>osed to the air, and to become sticky. 



Pepsin is serviceable in gastric indigestion of young 

 animals, which is sometimes accompanied by diarrhoea, and 

 in dyspepsia and feeble digestion caused by acute illness. 

 Its use must not be long persisted in, as the normal 

 functions of the stomach will fail from lack of use. 

 Pepsin is administered in pill, or solution with hydrochloric 

 acid. 



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