PROGRESS OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ART. 151 
accidentally entered the blood. Thus, iodide of potassium 
may be eliminated from the system by the pancreas. It is 
not so with every salt, the prussiate of potash, for example, 
never being seen in the pancreatic juice. 
The pancreatic secretion is formed during intra-uterine 
life, but we are at a loss to account for its uses then. It is 
difficult to determine what nervous influences affect its pro- 
duction ; a dose of ether excites it, and pressure on the ab- 
dominal viscera likewise tends to its increase ; the efforts of 
vomiting stop it. 
Physical and chemical properties. — The normal 
product of the pancreas is colourless, limpid, viscid, and glu- 
tinous. It has no characteristic odour, and, placed on the 
tongue, it affords the sensation of a viscid and slightly saline 
fluid, much like the serum of blood. If warmed, it coagu- 
lates in masses of a striking white colour. The organic con- 
stituents of the pancreatic juice are precipitated by nitric, 
sulphuric, and hydrochloric acid ; by the metallic salts and 
alcohol. The acetic, lactic, and dilute hydrochloric acids, do 
not coagulate it. Alkalies have no influence on it except 
that of re-dissolving the organic substances previously pre- 
cipitated by the aid of warmth, of acids, or alcohol. 
The chemical properties above referred to, led Magendie, 
Tiedemann, and Gmelin, to believe that the pancreatic secre- 
tion acts like albuminous matters in general. Physiologically, 
there is no relation between an albuminous liquid and the 
pancreatic juice. The coagulable principle is that which 
establishes the difference between the latter and saliva, 
whereas the saline constituents are nearly the same in both. 
The pancreatic juice contains from 90 to 92 parts of water 
in a hundred. The remaining 8 or 10 parts are made up of 
salts and a peculiar organic element which distinguishes the 
pancreatic juice from all other secretions of the body, though 
the proportion of water and saline substances may be the same. 
The solid residue obtained by evaporating a quantity of 
the fluid is found to contain from 90 to 92 parts per cent, of 
organic matter precipitated by alcohol, but holding a little 
lime in combination. The salts procured are the carbonate 
of soda, the chlorides of sodium and potassium, and the 
phosphate of lime. 
The solidifiable organic element upon which the active 
properties of the secretion depend, holds a position, as an 
albuminoid principle, between casein and albumen, possess- 
ing some properties of either, still not being a mixture of the 
two. It may be precipitated by alcohol, re-dissolved by 
