OF THE STUHGEON. 
351 
chyme, or alimentary pulp, does not enter this duct ; but 
through it the pancreatic liquor is conveyed to the former. 
In the sturgeon, and similar fishes, on the contrary, the 
pancreatoid or cellular organ, though provided with thick 
fleshy parietes, presents no marks of glandular tissue; nor 
can any excretory duct be recognised. It contains a series 
of communicating cells, into which the chyme is conveyed, 
and from which it is afterwards returned by the same out- 
let into the intestine. If it secretes a fluid, as is maintained 
by some observers, it must be from the mucous reticular 
surface, in the same manner as when the gastric juice is se- 
creted from the mucous surface of the stomach, and the in- 
testinal fluid from that of the bowels. There is in truth 
no reason, unless its external appearance, to regard it as a 
glandular organ; and it seems chiefly designed for per- 
forming a more refined and exquisite part of the process 
of digestion. One purpose of it is pretty obvious, at least 
if we may reason from what would be the consequence of 
its absence. I allude to the fact, that the food which is 
conveyed into the pancreatoid cells, must necessarily be 
retarded in its transit through the alimentary canal ; and 
if all the food which passes through the latter tube must 
perform the circular route of these cells previous to passing 
through the duodenum, it is manifest that it must be much 
more thoroughly digested than if no such organ existed 
to retard its conveyance. The use of such an apparatus 
for delaying the transit of the food, is so much more neces- 
sary in the finny tribes, in which the intestinal canal is 
straight and void of convolutions. To conjecture on this 
subject I am averse ; but if this be admissible, in allowing 
me to advance a step farther in illustrating the use of this 
organ, I would be disposed, in the mean time, to regard it 
as intended particularly to retard the motion of the alimen- 
tary mass, in order more effbctually to separate the chyle 
