The anatomy of humane bodies epitomized wherein all parts of man's body, with their actions and uses, are succinctly described, according to the newest doctrine of the most accurate and learned modern anatomists / by a Fellow of the College of Physicians, London.

CHAP. XV.

Of the Pancreas.

THE Pancreas (as much as to say All-flesh) or the Sweet-bread,* 1.1 except its Membranes and Vessels, is wholly Glandulous. It seems to be compacted out of many globules or knots in∣cluded in a common Membrane, and joyn'd to∣gether by the Membranes and Vessels. Every Globule by it self is somewhat hard; but all to∣gether (because of their loose connexion) seem softish. It is of a palish colour, very little tinc∣tured with red. Its Membrane it has from the Peritonaeum.

It is seated under the bottom and hind-part of the Stomach,* 1.2 and reaches from the Cavity of the Liver (namely from that part where the Porta enters it) to the Spleen, cross the Abdom••n. It is knit also to the Duodenum, (sometimes to the) Porus bilarius, the Rami splenici, the Caul, the upper part of the Mesentery, and upper Nervous plexus of the Mesentery. It is not joyned to the Spleen.

Its figure is long and flat,* 1.3 broader and thicker about the Duodenum, but towards the Spleen thinner and straiter.

It is lesser than most of the Bowels,* 1.4 but by much the greatest Gland in the Body, commonly about five fingers breadth long; where it is broa∣dest, it is about two fingers breadth; and about one fingers breadth thick.

Its Vessels are of five kinds.* 1.5 Veins it has from the splenick branch; Arteries from the left branch of the Coeliaca, sometimes from the sple∣nick; Nerves from the Intercostal pair, especi∣ally from the upper plexus of the Abdomen; it has also many Vasa lymphatica, which, as the rest, pass to the Receptaculum chyli. But besides these Vessels which are common to it with other parts, it has a proper membranous Duct of its own, which was first found out by Wirtsungus at Padua ••ight or nine and thirty years agoe. This Vessel commonly has but one Trunk, whose orifice o∣pens into the lower end of the Duodenum or be∣ginning of the Je••unum, and sometimes is joyned to the Ductus bilarius with which it makes but one mouth into the Intestin. Within the Pancreas (according to Dr. Wharton) it is divided into two Branches, which send forth abundance of

little Twigs into all the Globuli above spoken of, by whose means they receive the humours from all over the Pancreas, and by their Trunk trans∣mit them to the Guts. This pancreatick hu∣mour tho' is never found in this Duct, because it so quickly flows out into the Duodenum by a steep way; even just as Urine, passing out of the Reins by the Ureters to the Bladder, is never found in them because of its rapid transit.

Very many have been the differences of opini∣ons concerning the use of this Glandule.* 1.6 Some have thought it to be only of use to sustain the divisions of the Vessels, and to serve the Stomach for a Cushion; others that it ministers a ferment to the Stomach; others that it receives the Chyle, and brings it to greater perfection; and others that it serves as a Gall-bladder to the Spleen, or sometimes serves in its stead. Which opinions being all very unlikely, I shall not spend time to examine them. There are two other opinions, for the former whereof let the credit of the learned Author (viz. Dr. Wharton) re∣commend it as it can, but to me it seems impro∣bable, and it is this, That it receives the excre∣ments or superfluities of the superiour plexus of the Nerves of the sixth pair (Dr. Willis's Inter∣costal) being united with some branches from the spinal marrow, and by its proper Vessel or Duct discharges them into the Intestins. In an∣swer unto which I shall only say this, That I can∣not tell how thick Excrements should be convey'd by the Nerves that carry such pure animal spirits, and have no visible Cavity; nor secondly how these Nerves in particular should electivè (as he speak) send the Excrements hither, and all the

rest be discharged from any such Office. The last opinion, and to me the most probable, is defended by famous Physicians and Anatomists, as Franc. Sylvius, Bern. Swalve, Regn. de Graef and Isbrand de Diemerbroeck, from which last I shall transcribe it.

I have found, saith he, in the dissections of Brutes both alive, and newly strangled, a certain liquor sublimpid and as it were salivous, (something austere and lightly subacid, and having sometimes something of saltishness mixed) to flow out of the Ductus pancreaticus into the Duodenum, sometimes in a pretty quantity. Whence I judged—that there is excocted in the Pancreas a peculiar hu∣mour from the serous and saltish part of the ar∣terial bloud brought into it, having some few animal spirits convey'd thither by small Nerves mixed with it, and that this liquor flowing into the Duodenum, and there presently mixed with the Bile, and the meat concocted in the Sto∣mach gliding by the Pylorus into the Guts, does cause a peculiar effervescency in those aliments, whereby the profitable chylous particles are separated from the unprofitable, are attenua∣ted, and being brought to greater fusion (This operation of it, says he, is shewn by the diversity of the substance of the aliments, con∣cocted in the Stomach and still there contained, from that of those that have already flow'd into the Intestins: for the former are viscid and thick, and have the various colours of the food taken; but the latter on the contrary are more fluid, less viscid, and more white) are withall made apt to be impelled by the peristaltick motion of the Guts, through their inner mu∣cous

coat into the Lacteal vessels, the other thicker by little and little passing down to the thick Guts, to be there kept till the time of excretion. Now this effervescency is caused through the volatile salt and sulphureous oyl of the Bile meeting with the acidity of the pancreatick juice; as in Chymistry we observe the like effervescencies to be caused by the con∣course of such things.]

Thus he. So that he will not have this juice to be any thing excremen∣titious, nor to be so very little in quantity as some have affirmed; to demonstrate which he cites the experiment of de Graef, who in live∣dissections could gather sometimes an ounce of it in seven or eight hours time, which he has tasted, and found it of the tast before-mentioned, viz. something austere, subacid and saltish. Vide ejus Anatomen corporis humani, p. 73, &c. where you may see what Diseases it is the cause of when distempered.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Its sub∣stance.
• * 1.2

  Situation.
• * 1.3

  Figure.
• * 1.4

  Bigness.
• * 1.5

  Vessels.
• * 1.6

  Office.