312 
A. H. LOGAN. 
The curdling- ferment is a separate and distinct ferment, 
having the property of curdling milk. 
The mucin is obtained from the mucous glands. The 
salts are chiefly the chlorides of potassium, sodium and 
calcium. 
Recapitulation. —It must be remembered that while the 
food is yet in the mouth, the secretion of the gastric juice 
commences, and is increased as the food reaches the stomach. 
The acid gastric juice neutralizes the alkaline saliva. As di¬ 
gestion progresses the mass becomes a dull gray turbid fluid 
composed of starch granules, oil globules, dissolved parapep- 
tones and particles of partially digested proteids, and is called 
chyme. The chyme contains but few peptones, which proves 
their absorption from the stomach, with the soluble sugar and 
ordinary fluids taken with the food. 
While the above changes are taking place, the liver and 
pancreas are rapidly secreting fluids the result of reflex stim¬ 
ulation, to complete digestion when the chyme enters the in¬ 
testines. 
The pancreatic fluid is a thick, transparent, colorless* 
strongly alkaline fluid, and contains (i) four ferments, viz.: 
(a) trypsin, which changes proteids into peptones; (b) pan¬ 
creatic diastase, changes starch into dextrin and sugar; (r) 
curdling ferment, curdles the casein of milk; (d) emulsive 
ferment, emulsifies and saporities fats; (2) albumen; (3) 
mucin ; (4) salts and water. 
The pancreatic juice is produced by the highly increased 
activity of the protoplasmic contents of the gland cells, the 
result of reflex stimulation. 
The most important function of the pancreas is the forma¬ 
tion of a special ferment—trypsin, which converts proteids 
into peptones, but differs from gastric digestion in (1) re¬ 
quiring an alkaline instead of an acid medium; (2) the pro¬ 
teids are dissolved without any preliminary swelling; (3) 
leucin and tyrosin are formed. 
The fluid secreted by the protoplasmic granules of the 
gland cells is inert towards proteids and is called zymogen. On 
its escaping from the cells it is supposed to come in contact 
with an acid which converts it into trypsin. 
