THE PANCREAS 249 
The condition of the pancreas at autopsy on animals 
not dying with lesions of this organ deserves some atten- 
tion since it may confuse the uninitiated. If the organ be 
seen in its normal resting stage shortly after death, it is 
not difficult to recognize the condition as normal for the 
species. Activity is indicated by a darker or redder color 
and an increase of consistency. In carnivorous or 
omnivorous animals and birds the pancreas in this state 
is a body with a distinct bulky character, whereas in 
strictly herbivorous varieties, especially ungulates, the 
structure is diffusely pink and doughy. This is impor- 
tant since the early stages of self-digestion and decompo- 
sition assume this same character in all varieties, while 
later stages present a deep red, swollen, wet organ. These 
appearances must be differentiated from acute hemor- 
rhages or inflammations, a distinction based upon actual 
local blood collections or extravasations and areas of 
degeneration in true disease. Oftentimes differentiation 
must be made under the microscope and in advanced 
decomposition, determination is impossible. When there 
is torsion of the stomach, notably in ungulates, the pan- 
creas is often found decidedly congested. This, it seems, 
is due to a twist of the duodenum and passive congestion 
of it and the pancreas — the only simple explanation 
despite the apparent provision for a high degree of 
mobility, as already explained. The organ is nearly 
always mildly congested in severe grades of acute duo- 
denitis, although it need not be pathologically involved. 
It is, however, noteworthy that the pancreas is an organ 
with a low morbidity index, especially when one considers 
its proximity to a structure showing the highest disease 
index in the body, the intestine. The succeeding para- 
graphs will reveal in comparison to other organs only a 
small number of cases of degeneration, inflammation and 
tumors. This has been ascribed to the freedom of blood 
supply and the power of tryptic digestion. 
17 
