4.M.  Jour.  Pharv,  ) 
Apr.  1, 1874  / 
Notes  on  Ptyalin. 
187 
cases  of  dyspepsia  relieved  with  a  few  doses  of  the  above  combination. 
An  elixir  can  be  prepared  from  ptyalin  in  the  same  manner  as  elixir 
of  pepsin  and  elixir  of  pancreatin  ;  and  when  equal  proportions  of  the 
three  elixirs  are  mixed  together  and  given  in  dessertspoonful  doses, 
immediately  before  eating,  the  happiest  results  are  obtained. 
Ptyalin  is  a  substance  of  the  nature  of  diastase,  both  having  the 
power  of  converting  starchy  food  into  soluble  glucose.  Diastase  acts 
like  pancreatin  and  ptyalin  when  mixed  with  cod  liver  oil.  If  a 
strong  infusion  of  malt  is  mixed  with  cod  liver  oil,  an  emulsion  is 
formed  equal  to  the  one  produced  when  pancreatin  or  ptyalin  is  used. 
In  order  to  test  the  virtue  of  ptyalin,  its  action  on  starch  and  al- 
bumen was  tried  with  the  following  results : 
About  a  drachm  of  arrow  root  was  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of 
water,  about  a  quarter  of  a  grain  of  ptyalin,  freshly  precipitated  and 
without  any  sugar  of  milk  being  added  to  it,  was  added  to  the  starch 
and  water,  and  kept  at  a  temperature  of  100°  Fahr.  for  twenty-four 
hours.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  the  mixture  was  filtered  and  the 
filtrate  tested  for  glucose  by  Trommer's  test,  which  gave  the  charac- 
teristics of  that  test,  reducing  the  cupric  solution. 
The  action  on  albumen  was  next  tried ;  ten  grains  of  saccharated 
ptyalin  was  dissolved  in  one  fluid-ounce  of  water,  and  ten  drops  of 
hydrochloric  acid  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  grains  of  coagulated 
•albumen  were  added;  the  mixture  was  kept  at  a  temperature  of  100° 
Fahr.  for  twelve  hours,  then  filtered  and  the  remaining  albumen 
weighed.  It  was  found  that  the  ptyalin  had  dissolved  about  twenty 
grains,  thus  showing  its  inferiority  to  pepsin. 
When  I  first  made  ptyalin  I  considered  it  only  a  curiosity,  and 
kept  it  to  show  as  such,  but  physicians  became  interested  in  it  and 
began  to  prescribe  it.  There  must  certainly  be  some  virtue  in  it.  I 
first  made  one  ounce,  and  the  demand  was  so  great  that  I  had  to 
make  a  larger  quantity,  which  was  soon  exhausted,  and  another  still 
larger  lot  was  made,  and  the  demand  is  still  increasing. 
I  do  not  suggest  ptyalin  as  a  substitute  for  pancreatin,  but  to  be 
used  in  combination  with  pancreatin  and  pepsin,  as  a  promoter  of 
digestion  ;  and  the  three  combined  I  think  are  better  than  either  of 
them  used  singly. 
Camden,  N.  J.,  March  16tk,  1874. 
