THE BILE. 



217 





CRYSTALLINE AND EKSINOUS BILIARY 

 SUBSTANCES; from Small Intestine of Dog, 

 after two days fasting. 



biliary substances could almost Fig. 74. 



always be recognized by the 

 microscope in the ether preci- 

 pitate of the alcoholic solution ; 

 both as a resinous matter, 

 under the form of rounded, 

 oily-looking drops (Fig. 74), 

 and also under the form of 

 crystalline groups, generally 

 presenting the appearance of 

 double bundles of slender, 

 radiating, slightly curved or 

 wavy, needle-shaped crystals. 

 These substances, dissolved in 

 water, gave a purple color with 

 sugar and sulphuric acid. 

 These experiments were tried 

 after the animals had been kept 

 for one, two, three, five, six, 



seven, eight, and twelve days without food. The result showed that, 

 in all these instances, bile was present in the small intestine. The bile, 

 therefore, is not only constantly secreted by the liver in the intervals 

 of digestion, as well as during that 

 process, but it also continues to be 

 discharged into the intestine for 

 many days after the animal has 

 been deprived of food. 



But the quantity of bile passing 

 into the intestine within a given 

 time is greatest soon after the com- 

 mencement of digestion. Our own 

 experiments bearing on this point 

 were performed on dogs, by mak- 

 ing a permanent duodenal fistula, 

 on the same plan as that used for 

 gastric fistulse (Fig. 75). An inci- 

 sion was made through the abdomi- 

 nal walls, a short distance to the 

 right of the median line, the floating 

 portion of the duodenum drawn up 

 toward the external wound, opened 

 by a longitudinal incision, and a 

 silver tube, armed at each end with 

 a narrow projecting flange, inserted 

 into it by one extremity, about 

 fourteen centimetres below the 

 pylorus, and seven centimetres 

 15 



Fig. 75. 



DUODENAL FISTULA a. Stomach. 6. 

 Duodenum, c, c, c. Pancreas ; its two ducts 

 are seen opening into the duodenum, one 

 near the orifice of the biliary duct, d, the 

 other a short distance lower down. e. Silver 

 tube passing through the abdominal walls 

 and opening into the duodenum. 



