1867.] Dr. Dobell on the Action of the Pancreas. 209 



December 12, 18G7. 

 Lieut. -General SABINE, President, in the Chair. 



The President gave notice that, in addition to the three Fellows named 

 at the last Meeting, he had appointed Professor John PhiUips a Vice- 

 President. 



Mr. James Robert Napier was admitted into the Society. 



The following communications were read : — 



I. On the Special Action of the Pancreas on Fat and Starch.^^ 

 By Horace Dobell, M.D. &c., Physician to the Boyal 

 tlospital for Diseases of the Chest &c. Communicated by 

 E. Frankland, F.B.S. Received September 5, 1867. 



I have been engaged for several years in experimenting with the secre- 

 tion of the pancreas. The inquiry of which I now make known the re- 

 sults has reference especially to the mode of action of the pancreas upon 

 fats — a point which has been the subject of investigation by various phy- 

 siologists ever since the discovery of the influence of the pancreatic fluid 

 on the absorption of fat by Claude Bernard, nearly twenty years ago. 



In the chemical parts of my experiments I owe much to the efficient aid 

 of my friend Mr. Julius Schweitzer, and to the energy and perseverance 

 with which he carried out my suggestions under many difficulties. 



The objects of my investigations have been as follows : — 



1 . To discover the exact character and nature of the influence exerted 

 by the pancreas upon fats. 



2. To discover a means of obtaining and preserving the active principles 

 of the pancreas in a form suitable for experiment in the laboratory, and for 

 administration as a remedial agent. 



3. To discover the effects of the administration of the active principles 

 of the pancreas as a remedial agent in certain wasting diseases, and to test, 

 by an exjperimentis crucis, the truth of a conclusion on this subject, at 

 which I had previously arrived by a process of inductive research. 



I shall not occupy the valuable time of the Society by narrating the 

 many more or less unsuccessful experiments, but restrict myself to a con- 

 cise record of those attended with success. 



Experiments were made with the pancreas of several different animals, 

 but that of the pig was selected for the experiments of which I am about 

 to give the results, as being nearest in the character of its functions to th^t 

 of the hunian subject, 



lr\ order to ascertain the normal reaction of tb^ pw^'i'^^tio juicp^ ^1^4 



