CAUSES OF GALL-STONES. 



201 



liability of women to gall-stones depends, perhaps not so 

 much on the constitution of the sex, as on their mode of 

 life which varies considerably in different countries. 



CAUSES. There are certain changes in the liver and 

 biliary passages which, interfering with the normal 

 excretion of bile, may favour the development of gall- 

 stones. Under this head may be mentioned cancer of 

 the liver, or gall-bladder ; adhesions of the gall-bladder 

 to adjacent parts; repeated attacks of catarrh of the 

 mucus membrane of the gall-bladder ; general torpidity 

 of the liver, with a deficiency in the peristaltic action 

 of the gall-bladder ; a sacculated condition of the gall- 

 bladder, whereby a portion of the bile is retained for an 

 indefinite period, when it becomes altered in character 

 ami reduced to that consistency capable of acting as a 

 nucleus for the deposit of the cholesterine. The 

 :itary habits of women in this country, and the 

 utaiy habits of many men, undoubtedly tend to 

 retard the normal excretion of bile. Hence Tissot 

 ranks gall-stones among the diseases of men of letters ; 

 .Simmering among incarcerated prisoners; the same 

 W holds good in animals, as Glisson observed that 

 cows are more liable to sutler from gall-stones when 

 up during the winter months than when at pasture 

 during the summer. For the same reason, they are 

 not unfivqiiently developed after protracted confine- 

 ment to bed from illness. 



I)JKT. A particular mode of living, which directly 

 alters the properties of the biliary fluid, exercises con- 

 able influence in developing gall-stones. Hence, 

 calculi are more frequently met with in persons of full 

 habit, who eat largely of animal food, rich dishes, and 



