Chap. 19. Cattfe of Jaundice. 217 



pancreas being thus mixed, are poured together into 

 the cavity of the duodenum. 



The gall-bladder in man receives all its contents by 

 means of the communication between the cyftic an4 

 hepatic duels, In fqme animals, however, the gall- 

 bladder receives hs bile by peculiar duels immediately 

 from the liver, and in thefe animals the cyftic and he-, 

 patic duels do not unite. From the ftruclure and con- 

 nedYion of thefe ducts in man it is evident, that all the 

 bile which pafies into the duodenum muft pafs through 

 the hepatic and common bile duels, and that which 

 goes to the gall-bladder pafles through the cyftic duel* 

 The duds are furnifhed with a mufcular coat. The 

 ufe of the gall-bladder feems to be to retain the bile 

 till its more watery parts being removed, the remainder 

 may become thicker, more pungent, and more acrid, 

 It is fo placed that it may be preffed upon by the dif- 

 tended ftomach, and its contents therefore difcharged 

 when they are moft required to aflift in the procefs of 

 digeftion, The gall-bladder is alfo emptied by the 

 compreffion and agitation of the vifcera, which happen 

 in vomiting. The bile in the gall-bladder fometimes 

 concretes into hard maffes called gall-ftones. As long 

 as thefe remain in the gall-bladder they occafion little 

 or no inconvenience, but when they are propelled into 

 the ducts they diftend and irritate them fo as, when of 

 a large fize, to be productive of very violent pain. 

 When thefe concretions are flopped in the common 

 gall duel, they prevent the pafiage of bile into the in- 

 teftines. The bile, not efcaping in the ufual manner, 

 is accumulated in the liver, and being taken up by the 

 abforbents is carried into the circulating fyftem, and 

 produces jaundice. 



The fpleen is a fpongy vifcus, of a colour between 

 deep red and blue. Its figure is fo irregular as to 



admit 



