The purpose in this study was to examine the three main structural elements of the pancreas—acini, ducts and islands—after a part of this gland had been excluded from external secretion. It must be emphasized that this procedure is not identical with ligation of the duct, which method has been used to a great extent experimentally.1 The exclusion of pancreatic juice from the intestines results in serious nutritional disturbances and may influence the inner secretion of the pancreas. Ligation of the tail of the pancreas, as suggested by Mansfeld,2 leaves a sufficient part of the gland to secrete ferments and turns only ductless that part of the gland which is known to contain comparatively more islet tissue.
Recent studies by Ukai,3 Herxheimer and Carpenter4 and Jorns5 uniformly state that a sclerosis of the pancreas takes place following ligation of the duct. The islands, however, resist this