48 Dr. KEMP, ON THE NATURE OF THE BILIARY SECRETION. 



1. A portion of the substance was burnt in a platinum crucible, and an ash remained con- 

 sisting of 



Carbonate of Soda = 11'16 per cent. 

 Chloride of Sodium = 0-64 per cent. 



2. Another portion treated in the same manner gave 



Carbonate of Soda = 11'13 per cent. 

 Chloride of Sodium = 0'37 per cent. 



The organic portion gave on combustion with chromate of lead : — 



1 2 



Carbon =64-60 04-85 



Hydrogen = 9-62 9-40 



Nitrogen = 3-40 3-40 



Oxygen = 2238 22-36 



100-00 10000 



The human bile, from the smallness of its quantity, presents us with still greater difficulties than 

 the ox-bile, the portion obtained from an adult under the most favourable circumstances being 

 barely sufficient for the necessary number of analyses. The first portion of human bile which 

 I examined was removed about eight hours after death from a man who died suddenly under an 

 attack of delirium tremens. Having separated the mucus and fat as above described, it was 

 submitted to analysis with the following results. On burning a portion in a platinum crucible 

 it was found to contain 6-6 per cent of soda and 1-87 per cent of chloride of sodium. The organic 

 elements were in the following proportions : 



Carbon = 68-80 

 Hydrogen = 10-40 

 Nitrogen = 3-44 

 Oxygen = 17-36 



100-00 



The general conclusion from the above analysis is, that human bile, as well as the ox-bile, 

 is an electro-negative body in combination witli soda. Two other cases of bile obtained from 

 children who died in consequence of severe burns confirmed this conclusion. The next examination 

 was into the nature of the bile of fishes. I have not yet been able to obtain a sufficient quantity 

 of this secretion for anything more than a cursory examination, the results however, so far as 

 they went, were exceedingly satisfactory. The bile of four large codfish gave 2-6l per cent of 

 chloride of sodium, 1-8 per cent of lime, 4-3 per cent of soda with a trace of magnesia. I had 

 merely substance enough to estimate the quantity of carbon and hydrogen, which were 68-60 

 and 10-8 per cent respectively. From this analysis we see that this species of bile is also an 

 electro-negative body, but combined with three bases, lime, soda, and magnesia. I have recently 

 obtained the bile from a tiger, which was treated in the usual manner to remove the mucus and 

 fat. A portion burnt in a platinum crucible gave an alkaline ash, the nature of which I have 

 yet to determine. The solution of the bile itself was perfectly neutral ; we therefore conclude 

 that its nature is similar to all the others which we have examined, and that in the carnivorous, 

 as well as the graminivorous and omnivorous animals, the bile is essentially composed of an electro- 

 negative body in combination with one or more inorganic bases. That the body is not the choleic 

 acid of Demar^ay, is evident from the difference of the elementary composition which exists 

 between them. The bile of the ox contains nearly 65 per cent of carbon, human bile upwards 

 of 68 per cent, while the acid of Demar9ay contains between 63 and 64 ; and the difference in 

 the quantity of hydrogen is so great that we cannot construct any formula under which bodies 

 diflPering so widely from each other can be included. The choleic acid also when combined 



