A review of acute pancreatitis is given including epidemiology, etiology, clinical symptomatology, laboratory and X-ray procedures, clinical course, complications and prognosis of this disease. Therapy is discussed in extent; all therapeutical approaches are reviewed with special emphasis on effectiveness as evidenced by experimental and controlled or uncontrolled clinical studies of the therapeutic measure in question. An account is also given of the results of surgery in cases of hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis. The following conclusions are drawn: Treatment of pain and early intensive treatment of complications are effective and essential in acute pancreatitis. Clinical experience does show in addition, that fasting acts upon the clinical course favorably. All other therapeutic approaches recommended up to now have not yet been proven to be effective.