ACTION OF THE BILE IN DIGESTION. 367 



. crystalline substance, and the taurocholate of soda, which is 

 of a resinous consistence, and is stated to be uncrystallizable. 



The whole subject of the constitution of the bile has 

 been admirably reviewed by Dalton, who has made, in addi- 

 tion, important original researches into the constitution and 

 physiology of this fluid. 1 In the human bile, Dalton has 

 found a resinous substance, which, from its behavior with 

 various reagents, is undoubtedly analogous to the taurocho- 

 late of soda of ox-bile, but which he could not obtain in a 

 crystalline form. 3 



In addition to the biliary salts, the bile contains the ordi- 

 nary inorganic salts, found in nearly all the animal fluids, a 

 small quantity of fat, the oleates, margarates, and stearates 

 of soda and potassa, mucus from the gall-bladder, and cho- 

 lesterine ; the last being an excrementitious product. The 

 action of the bile in digestion, whatever its nature may be, 

 undoubtedly depends chiefly upon the biliary salts, and per- 

 haps to some extent upon its saponaceous constituents. 



Experiments on the action of the bile upon different ali- 

 mentary substances out of the body have not led to any defi- 

 nite results. It is only in connection with the other diges- 

 tive fluids that it seems to be efficient ; and the only obser- 

 vations which have thrown any light upon, the subject are 

 those made upon digestion in the living organism. Simple 

 ligation of the bile-duct, as was practised by Blundell, Bro- 

 die, Magendie, Mayo, and others, has taught us very little 

 regarding the effects of shutting off the bile from the intes- 

 tine ; for the immediate effects of the operation generally 

 interfered with the process of digestion, and subsequently the 

 experiment was necessarily disturbed by the effects of the 

 retention of bile in the excretory passages. As would nat- 



1 DALTON, On the Constitution and Physiology of the JBile. American Journal 

 of the Medical Sciences, October, 1857. 



* Since writing the above, we have been informed bj Professor Dalton that ho 

 has succeeded in obtaining a small quantity of crystalline matter from the human 

 bile. 



