518 LECTURE XXII. 



the salts of the bile-acids lessen the frequency of the pulse. This is due to 

 their action upon the heart. The latter is first of all stimulated, and for 

 a short time there is an acceleration of the heart action, which, however, 

 soon becomes retarded. Respiration also becomes less frequent. Thus 

 we found in describing icterus, which results from the restricted discharge 

 of the bile into the intestines, what severe pathological conditions appear 

 if the secretions of the liver-cells are compelled to be eliminated through 

 the kidneys, being carried thither by means of the lymph and blood-vessels. 

 The fact that the bile undoubtedly plays an important part in digestion 

 does not necessarily contradict any such assumption. There may be some 

 adaptation here. It would not be altogether remarkable if we should find 

 that the animal organism makes use of a definite function for different pur- 

 poses. The secretion of bile does not necessarily assume a peculiar position 

 because it has not yet been possible to find secretory nerves which govern 

 the secretion. The liver behaves in this respect like the kidneys. The 

 secretion of bile, according to this, is to be compared to the formation of 

 the urine. In the case of all the other glands that we have studied up to 

 this point, we have found secretory nerves. We should not, however, 

 lay too much stress upon the fact that we have never found any nerves 

 which in any way govern the secretion of the liver, for it was but a 

 short time ago that such nerves were positively proved to exist for the 

 stomach and pancreas. It is not altogether impossible that such 

 nerves will be found in the case of the liver and possibly for the kidneys 

 as well. Certain contradictory observations, and much that is not in 

 accordance with the theory at present accepted concerning the secretion 

 of the bile and urine, will at once become explicable if nerves can be 

 found governing the action of these organs. 



The experiments of Pawlow and his school have brought forward many 

 observations showing the close relation between digestion and the secre- 

 tion of bile, so that we are obliged to regard bile in the light of a specific 

 secretion of the liver-cells. The constituents of bile are by no means 

 waste-products of cell-metabolism, but they are much rather to be regarded, 

 according to their formation and their entire functions, as true secretion 

 products. It is indeed possible that the formation of the bile is accom- 

 plished by means of definite cells. It is also conceivable that their for- 

 mation is, nevertheless, bound up with the intermediate metabolism in 

 the liver to the extent that the cells of the liver utilize in a specific way 

 certain decomposition products. The fact that the flow of bile is con- 

 tinuous is not contrary to any such hypothesis. Our knowledge concern- 

 ing the destiny of the bile is still very limited. We do not know whether 

 a part of it is constantly being resorbed. In fact, frequently the biliary 

 cycle has been spoken of under the assumption that bile is constantly 

 being resorbed and again secreted. It has also been observed that the 



