266 
ON  PEPSINE. 
Boudault  found  that  the  pepsine  obtained  from  herbivorous  ani- 
mals is  identical  in  its  properties  with  that  obtained  from  the 
carnivora,  and  may  be  substituted  for  it,  so  far  at  least  as  the 
digestive  functions  are  concerned. 
The  employment  of  an  artificial  digestive  agent  is  not  new  in 
medicine.  The  liquid  obtained  by  treating  rennet  with  water, 
acidified  with  some  acid,  has  been  given  with  success,  but  it  has 
never  been  much  used — probably  in  consequence  of  the  disagree- 
able nature  of  the  dose  ;  but  now  that  we  have  the  means  placed 
before  us  in  an  elegant  form,  it  is  no  longer  a  matter  of  difficul- 
ty. The  details  and  the  cases  where  it  may  be  employed  will 
suggest  themselves  to  every  medical  man.  There  are  at  present 
four  preparations  of  pepsine  in  use — namely,  No.  1,  acidified 
with  lactic  acid ;  No.  2,  which  contains  in  addition  1  per  cent, 
hydrochlorate  of  morphia  ;  No.  3,  containing  J  per  cent,  strych- 
nia ;  and  No.  4,  which  contains  no  lactic  acid,  and  is  useful 
where  there  is  an  excess  of  acidity. 
Other  medicines,  however,  may  be  given  in  conjunction  with 
pepsine,  without  in  any  way  impairing  its  action ;  among  these 
are  subnitrate  of  bismuth,  lactate  of  iron,  carbonate  of  iron, 
iodide  of  iron,  and  reduced  iron.  Attempts  have  likewise  been 
made  to  form  a  syrup  of  pepsine,  as  a  more  agreeable  way  of 
exhibiting  this  medicine  ;  but  it  was  found  that  the  sugar  was 
after  some  ten  or  twelve  days  converted  into  glucose,  and  finally 
into  lactic  acid.  A  solution  of  pepsine  will  keep  any  length  of 
time,  provided  air  be  excluded ;  but,  in  the  presence  of  air,  de- 
composition soon  sets  in :  and  I  have  found  that  the  best  form  to 
keep  it  in  is  that  of  a  powder,  as  originally  proposed  by  M. 
Boudault.  It  may  be  taken  in  this  form  very  conveniently 
between  two  slices  of  bread,  or  in  the  first  spoonful  of  soup, 
which,  however,  should  not  exceed  the  temperature  of  the  body, 
the  dose  being  about  fifteen  grains. 
The  gastric  juice  possesses  all  the  characters  of  a  diluted  acid; 
it  attacks  iron  filings,  and  decomposes  the  alkaline  carbonates, 
and  it  appears  to  me  that  this  fact  would  justify  a  much  more 
extended  use  of  the  lactates  than  at  present  prevails,  for  such 
preparations  as  ferrum  radactum,  ferri  carbonas  saccharatum, 
mistura  ferri,  &c,  must  be  resolved  into  lactates  soon  after  they 
reach  the  stomach,  and  that,  too,  at  the  expense  of  one  of  the 
most  important  constituents  of  the  gastric  juice. 
