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Monday, 18 th March 1861. 
The Hon. LORD NEAVES, Vice-President, in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read 
1. On the Properties of the Secretion of the Human Pancreas. 
By William Turner, M.B. (Lond.), Senior Demonstrator of 
Anatomy, University of Edinburgh. 
The author obtained the pancreatic secretion at a post-mortem 
examination which he made of the body of a patient of Mr Spence’s, 
who had died with a medullary tumour in the head of the pancreas, 
which, by compressing the biliary and pancreatic ducts, had pro- 
duced dilatation of the ducts of the liver and gall-bladder, as well 
as dilatation of the ducts and lobules of the pancreas. The secre- 
tion was contained in the dilated parts of the gland last named, 
from which it was drawn off by means of a pipette. The fluid thus 
obtained was of an orange-yellow colour, and well-marked viscid 
consistency — sp.gr. 1*0105; appearance slightly turbid, owing to 
the presence of small white flakes, which a microscopic examination 
proved to consist of groups of small spherical, colourless cells, re- 
sembling, and most probably consisting of, the epithelial lining of 
the vesicles of the gland. Reaction faintly yet decidedly acid; heat, 
alcohol, corrosive sublimate, and bichloride of platinum threw down 
copious yellowish-white precipitates, consisting of the peculiar albu- 
minous constituent of the secretion. No reduction was effected by 
boiling the fluid with freshly precipitated blue oxide of copper, 
showing the absence of sugar or any corresponding deoxidizing sub- 
stance. The absence of sulpho-cyanide of potassium was shown by 
no reaction being given with a solution of perchloride of iron ; thus 
affording a well-marked distinction between the composition of the 
human saliva and pancreatic juice. A partial emulsionizing effect 
was produced by rubbing some of the fluid with a little oil. With 
another portion of the secretion, starch was converted into dextrine. 
The action of the fluid upon albuminous substances was also tested, 
but a negative result was obtained. It should be stated, however, 
that but a small quantity of the secretion was now left, and that a 
day had elapsed between its withdrawal from the body and the appli- 
