The assistance afforded by the alkalies to the organism might be capable of another explanation; for example, that which is ordinarily given. In this case, however, I venture to offer a reason for the effects of sodium chloride, and of the alkaline salts of sodium, which is exactly the opposite of that generally accepted. We were unable to convince ourselves of any succagogue influence on the part of these salts. Indeed, both on the stomach and pancreas they proved in our hands to have an inhibitory effect. In addition to the experiments which I previously brought forward concerning the relation of alkalies to gastric and pancreatic juice, I may relate the following observation. A dog which fortunately had survived the performance, one after the other, of a gastric fistula, a pancreatic fistula, and an œsophagotomy, received daily during the course of several weeks an addition of soda to its food. The animal enjoyed good health and had an excellent appetite. When the first sham feeding experiment was carried out, the relatively small effect of this otherwise very active juice-exciting procedure at once struck us. At the same time we observed that the pieces of flesh which fell from the upper end of the œsophagus, contrary to the ordinary rule, were hardly at all insalivated. In this dog, therefore, a greatly lowered activity of several digestive glands--viz., of the gastric, pancreatic, and salivary glands--simultaneously existed. With regard to the salivary glands the circumstance was naturally submitted to closer investigation. I believe that the inhibitory influence of the alkalies on the digestive glands, which was here proved experimentally, may furnish a basis for the following representation of their mode of action in producing healing effects. Catarrhal affections of the stomach are characterised by an incessant or very protracted secretion of slimy, weakly acid gastric juice. Further, in many cases the affection begins with a hypersecretion, that is an abnormal excitability, of the secretory apparatus which makes itself evident in a superfluous and useless flow. The same must be conceived to happen in disorders of the pancreatic gland; at least such a condition sets in after operations performed for physiological purposes. It is, further, justifiable to suppose that, when an affection is once set up by this or that cause, it may later maintain itself independently; for continuous activity has undoubtedly a harmful influence on the glands. The due nourishment, and the restoration of organs after activity, proceeds best during rest. In the normal course of events, after a period of active work follows a pause, during which the latent work of restoration is accomplished. When, therefore, a remedy effectively restrains the excessive work of a diseased organ, it may in this way contribute to the removal of the pathological condition, and thus to a restoration of the normal state. In this consists, in my