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Nachdruck verboten. 
On the Musculature of the Duodenal Portion of the Common 
Bile-duet and of the Sphincter. 
By Wıruıam F. Henpricxson. 
(From the Anatomical Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University, 
Baltimore.) 
With 17 Figures. 
The idea that there is a sphincter muscle about the orifice of the 
ductus communis choledochus has been held since the time of Guisson. 
In the year 1887, however, Oppı had cause to inquire more particul- 
arly into the subject. He found that no extended research had been 
made in this connection, and that the idea of a sphincter muscle of 
the common bile-duct was based for the most part on conjecture. 
Oppı accordingly untertook a careful study of the subject and used 
two methods: 1) maceration, 2) sectioning and microscopic examin- 
ation. With the maceration method he examined and described the 
sphincter muscle of the dog, which he regards as typical, and this 
description is followed by some observations regarding the differences 
observable in the sphincter muscle of the sheep, ox and hog. Oppı 
does not attempt to demonstrate the sphincter muscle in man by this 
method. He studied also serial cross-sections of the duodenal portion 
of the common bile-duct of the dog and other animals, and describes 
them briefly. 
The importance of such studies for the clinician interested in 
diseases of the biliary passages is obvious, and it is to be regretted 
that Oppr’s material did not permit him to extend his studies to the 
bile-ducts of man. He states, it is true, that he has studied sections 
of the human bile-duct, and that he found sphincter fibres around the 
end of the bile-duct; otherwise his research deals entirely with tissues 
derived from animals. In view of this fact a reworking of the subject 
with particular reference to human beings has seemed desirable, and 
the present work was therefore, at the suggestion of Prof. BARKER, 
undertaken. 
History. 
Since the year 1761 when Duverney described the arrangement 
of the muscle fibres in the human gall-bladder, much has been written 
concerning the musculature of the bile passages. Almost all observers 
