1866-1927

British physiologist who, in collaboration with William Maddock Bayliss, discovered secretin, a hormone produced by the intestinal mucosa. Staring and Bayliss demonstrated nervous control of the peristaltic wave (the muscle action that causes the movement of food through the intestine). In 1902 they isolated secretin, a substance that stimulates the secretion of pancreatic digestive juice into the intestine. In 1904 Starling coined the term "hormone." Starling also investigated the mechanisms that maintain fluid balance, the regulatory role of endocrine secretion, and the action of the heart and kidneys.