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Hydrolytic Ferments of the Pancreas, $-c. [May 13, 



marked, and finally the regions of the jejunum and ileum containing 

 the agminated glands, or Peyer's patches, are the portions of the in- 

 testine which exert the most pronounced hydrolytic effect upon 

 maltose, cane-sugar, and starch. These glands consist of small ovoid 

 masses of adenoid tissue, embedded in the mucous membrane, and 

 enclosing vast numbers of leucocytes. The glands are in intimate 

 relation both with the vascular and lymphatic systems, each follicle 

 being penetrated by blood-vessels, and surrounded by lymph sinuses 

 which are in connexion with the lacteals of the villi. 



The function of the Peyer's glands is by no means established. The 

 opinion held by physiologists up to a few years ago that they discharge, 

 by occasional rupture an intermittent secretion into the intestine, 

 appears now to be abandoned in favour of the view that they are in- 

 strumental in absorbing material from the blood and chyle, which 

 they elaborate and again transmit, in a modified form, in part to the 

 portal blood, and in part to the lacteal system. 



The property which the glands undoubtedly possess of hydrolysing- 

 maltose to dextrose, and of so rendering the starch products of the 

 pancreatic digestion more fitted for nutrition, is probably one of these 

 special functions of elaboration. 



Our work on these matters has been necessarily restricted to the 

 chemical side of the subject, and we must now, lest we should incur 

 the charge of overstepping our metier, leave further observations in 

 the hands of physiologists. 



The following are the main points which we consider have been 

 established by our experiments : — 



(1.) The action of artificial pancreatic juice upon starch-paste or 

 soluble starch at 40° C. is, in the earliest stages of the reaction, similar 

 to that of unheated malt-extract acting at 60° C. and under, the com- 

 position of the starch-products becoming comparatively stationary 

 when 80'8 per cent, of maltose has been produced. 



(2.) Both malt-diastase and pancreatic- diastase are capable of 

 hydrolysing the lowest achroodextrin to maltose. 



(3.) Pancreatic-diastase is capable, by long continued action at 40°, 

 of slowly but sensibly converting maltose into dextrose, a change 

 which malt- diastase is incapable of effecting even under the most 

 favourable circumstances. 



(4.) Neither artificial pancreatic juice, nor the tissue of the gland 

 itself contains any ferment which is capable of inverting cane-sugar. 



(5.) The small intestine is capable of hydrolysing maltose, of in- 

 verting cane-sugar, and of acting feebly as an amylolytic ferment. 



(6.) The action of the tissue of the small intestine in bringing 

 about these changes is far greater than that of its mere aqueous 

 infusion, and differs materially in different regions of the intestine. 



(7.) The variability of the hydrolytic action of different portions of 



