54  Additional  Notes  on  Pancreatin.     {A  Feb'i'iw™ 
Rub  the  saccharated  pancreatin  with  the  sugar  and  water,  in  a  mor- 
tar, until  a  thick  syrup  is  formed  ;  to  this  add  the  cod-liver  oil,  in 
which  the  essential  oils  have  been  dissolved.  This  forms  a  perfect 
emulsion,  without  difficulty.  It  separates,  of  course,  upon  standing, 
but  can  easily  be  shaken  together  again,  forming  an  emulsion  with 
slight  agitation.  This  is  certainly  to  be  preferred  to  the  thick  muci- 
laginous emulsions  made  with  gum  arabic  or  tragacanth,  which  are 
usually  so  distasteful  to  patients,  because  of  their  being  so  thick. 
By  the  above  formula  a  preparation  can  be  furnished  containing 
seventy-five  (75)  per  cent,  of  oil,  in  the  condition  in  which  the  oil,  as 
usually  prescribed,  enters  the  duodenum,  thus  rendering  its  absorption 
and  assimilation  by  the  lacteals  comparatively  easy,  the  molecular 
formation  of  the  oil  being  completely  broken  up.  To  make  the  emul- 
sion whiter  a  little  lime  water  may  be  substituted,  omitting  an  equiv- 
alent quantity  of  water,  a  partial  saponification  rendering  the  emul- 
sion more  permanent  and  more  elegant  in  appearance. 
The  easy  assimilation  of  this  preparation  having  been  experimen- 
tally demonstrated  by  several  of  our  eminent  medical  practitioners, 
it  stands  unrivalled  in  a  therapeutical  point  of  view  as  a  standard 
pharmaceutical  preparation  of  cod-liver  oil. 
The  action  of  pancreatin  upon  albumen  having  frequently  been 
stated,  experiments  were  instituted  in  order  to  more  closely  examine 
this  action.  Accordingly,  ten  grains  saccharated  pancreatin  were 
dissolved  in  one  fluidounce  of  water,  with  the  addition  of  six  drops 
of  hydrochloric  acid.  To  this  thirty  grains  of  coagulated  albumen 
were  added,  and  the  whole  kept  at  a  temperature  of  100°  F.,  being 
occasionally  agitated.  At  the  end  of  six  hours  about  twenty-five 
grains  were  dissolved,  thus  showing  the  correctness  of  the  usually 
received  statement,  and  at  the  same  time  showing  its  great  inferiority 
to  saccharated  pepsin,  which  under  similar  circumstances  would  have 
dissolved  from  120  to  180  grains. 
The  action  of  pancreatin  upon  starch  was  next  observed,  and  a 
drachm  of  Bermuda  arrowroot  was  mixed  with  a  solution  of  ten  grs. 
of  saccharated  pancreatin  in  one  fluidounce  of  water,  and  kept  at  the 
temperature  of  100°  F.  for  several  hours.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
time  the  mixture  was  filtered  and  the  filtrate  tested  for  glucose,  abun- 
dant evidence  of  the  presence  of  this  substance  being  afforded  by 
Trommer's  and  Fehling's  tests.  That  this  glucose  was  the  product 
of  the  action  of  pancreatin  upon  starch  was  demonstrated  by  testing 
