“As to the commercial stability of the secretin prepared according to my method, I may say that I have found by actual tests that the preparation maintains its stability for as long a period as five or six months. When I refer to my product as being “commercially stable,” I mean that it resists oxidation or deterioration for a sufficient period to render the same available as a commercial article. This period may vary from several weeks to several months, depending upon certain commercial factors well understood by the manufacturer. So, roughly speaking, I should say that secretin is commercially stable when it retains its activity from one to six months. I do not wish to be understood, however, as limiting myself to these exact figures.” That active secretin may be extracted from macerated intestinal mucosa by weak acids below the temperature of boiling is well known. In fact, weak acids at body temperature in contact with the duodenal mucosa lead to the formation of secretin. The claims that secretin given by mouth reaches the blood and acts on the pancreas has been made for other preparations of secretin. It has also been shown that these claims are erroneous.[122] Thus it would appear that the only novel element in Dr. Beveridge’s patented secretin is the addition of serum, soluble proteins or peptones. What reason is there for believing that this will render the secretin stable for months, and physiologically active when taken by mouth? We do not believe Dr. Beveridge ever injected his secretin--protein mixture--intravenously in man or animals not under anesthesia, otherwise he would not have stated: “Of course, if desired, the secretin may be injected intravenously.” [122] Carlson, Lebensohn and Pearlman, The Journal, Jan. 15, 1916, p. 178. BEVERIDGE’S PATENTED SECRETIN IS NOT STABLE I. _The Samples of Secretin Sent Us by Dr. Beveridge._--Physiological tests were made on four quart bottles of the secretin kindly sent us by Dr. Beveridge June 26, 1916. According to a letter from Dr. Beveridge of July 20, 1916, those samples of secretin were prepared June 20, that is, only six days before received by us. The material came in dark colored bottles. It was kept in the original bottles and placed in the ice box immediately on receipt. Dr. Beveridge stated the secretin “should remain active until the month of November, 1916, at least.”