DIARRHOEAS OR “ SCOURS ” OF NURSLINGS. 409 
pepsin to an animal whose entire alimentary canal is in an ir¬ 
ritated and abnormal condition, can well be imagined. 
The pancreatin secretion consists of a combination of four 
distinct ferments, which seem happily designed to supplement 
and complete the work left unfinished by the secretions of the 
parotid and submaxillary glands and the stomach : first, amy- 
lopsin, similar in action to diastase, converting the starch into 
dextrin and sugar; second, a curding ferment, acting on milk 
in an analagous manner to rennet, or the curding ferment of 
gastric juice ; third, trypsin, having powerful peptonizing 
properties ; and, fourth, steapsin, known as the fat-splitting or 
emulsifying ferment. The chief of these ferments, and the 
one of paramount importance, is trypsin. 
Pancreatin, which represents all these ferments, has an ex¬ 
tended range of activity, and, unlike pepsin, acts in an alkaline 
medium, and is usually advantageously prescribed in connec¬ 
tion with a soda ; for like reason also, pancreatin and pepsin 
should not be prescribed together, but the former should 
precede, and the latter follow, the taking of food. 
In the diarrhoeas of ruminant sucklings, the best results of 
pancreatin and pepsin are secured when the little sufferer is 
removed from the dam, and hand-fed with milk that has been 
rapidly and artificially cooled and duly diluted with cold 
water previously boiled. It may, further, seem advisable to 
remove a portion of the cream from the milk, substituting 
instead a small amount of some farinaceous product, such as 
roasted malt or flour ; the fact has long been recognized that 
bland and easily-digested farinaceous substances, mixed with 
milk, aid in preventing casein from forming large and firm 
masses in the stomach, by mechanically separating its parti¬ 
cles. This insures more even feeding and better action of the 
digestive ferments. With the food may be administered pan¬ 
creatin ; after feeding pepsin, if required ; between feedings, 
alteratives, antacids and anti-ferments may be employed. 
Acid lactic or carbolic, creasote, thymol and iodine, are espe¬ 
cially valuable as antiseptics, but must be given separately, and 
in small and oft-repeated doses, to secure satisfactory results. 
Naphthalin or mercury deuto-iodide answer a like purpose, 
