Sect. XXX. i. 3. OF THE LIVER. 273 



ver ; and had taken emetics, cathartics, mercurials, bitters, 

 chalybeates, efTential oil, and aether, without apparent advan- 

 tage. On a fuppofition that the obftruction of the bile might 

 be owing to the paralyfis, or torpid action of the common bile- 

 duel:, and the ftimulants taken into the ftomach feeming to have 

 no effect, I directed half a fcore fmart electric (hocks from a 

 coated bottle, which held about a quart, to be pafTed through 

 the liver, and along the courfe of the common gall-duct, as near 

 as could be gueffed, and on that very day the (tools became yel- 

 low ; he continued the electric (hocks a few days more, and 

 his (kin gradually became clear. 



3. The bilious vomiting and purging, that affects fome peo- 

 ple by intervals of a few weeks, is a lefs degree of this difeafe ; 

 the bile-duct is lefs irritable than natural, and hence the bile 

 becomes accumulated in the gall-bladder, and hepatic ducts, 

 till by its quantity, acrimony or vificidity, a greater degree of 

 irritation is produced, and it is fuddenly evacuated, or laftlv 

 from the abforption of the more liquid parts of the bile, the re- 

 mainder becomes infpifTated, and chryftallizes into mafles too 

 large to pafs, and forms another kind of jaundice, where the 

 bile-duct is not quite paralytic, or has regained its irritability. 



This difeafe is attended with much pain, which at (irft is feife 

 at the pit of the ftomach, exactly in the centre of the body, 

 where the bile-duct enters the duodenum ; afterwards, when 

 the fize of the bile-ftones increafe, it is alfo felt on the right 

 fide, where the gall-bladder is fituated. The former pain at the 

 pit of the ftomach recurs by intervals, as the bile-done is pu(h- 

 ed againft the neck of the duct \ like the paroxyfms of the ftone 

 in the urinary bladder, the other is a more dull and conftant pain. 



Where thefe bile-ftones are too large to pafs, and the bile- 

 ducts poffefs their fenfibility, this becomes a very painful and 

 hopelefs difeafe. I made the following experiments with a view 

 to their chemical folution. 



Some fragments of the fame bile-ftone were put into the weak 

 fpiiit of marine fait, which is fold in the (hops ; and into folu- 

 tion of mild alcali \ and into a folution of cauftic alcali j and 

 into oil of turpentine ; without their being diflblved. All thefe 

 mixtures were after fome time put into a heat of boiling water, 

 and then the oil of turpentine diflblved its fragments of bile- 

 ftone, but no alteration was produced upon thofe in the other 

 liquids except fome change of their colour. 



Some fragments of the fame bile-ftone were put into vitriolic 

 sether, and were quickly diflblved without additional heat. 

 Might not rether mixed with yolk of egg or with honey be given 

 advantageoullv in bilious concretions ? 



Vol.. I. Mm I 



