BILE. 263 



This composition and the properties here enumerated sup- 

 ply us with very little information in regard to the probable 

 functions of the bile in digestion. When the bile is turned 

 out of its course by a fistula, and the animal is prevented 

 from licking the wound, so that the bile can in no way 

 outer the intestinal canal, the animal soon becomes ema- 

 ciated : absorption takes place incompletely, especially that 

 of the fatty substances which are found almost entire in the 

 excrement, and the animal can only be kept alive by receiv- 

 ing twice or thrice its usual quantity of food. The pilous 

 system of the animal also suffers greatly : the hair dries, be- 

 comes atrophied and falls; we shall see, however, that this 

 is due to the fact that, in its natural condition, a large part 

 of the bile is reabsorbed in the intestinal canal, and when it 

 flows out of the body the organism suffers a great loss, espe- 

 cially in sulphur (taurine) since there are at least 3 grammes 

 of sulphur in the bile formed during 24 hours ; this sulphur 

 forms an important part of all the elements of the epidermis, 

 especially the horny productions (hair, nails, etc.). 



In brief, the presence of the bile appears to be necessary to 

 the accomplishment of the process of digestion and absorp- 

 tion. But how does it act ? As we have foreshadowed, 

 and upon which we must here insist, the bile is not poured 

 into the intestine in such a manner as to come in contact 

 with the product of the stomachal digestion ; when the bile 

 enters the duodenum, the contents of the intestine have al- 

 ready extended to the ileum, or even to the large intestine, and 

 have been absorbed in a great measure. This fact alone, as 

 well as the well-known properties of the normal bile (its 

 neutrality, especially), renders it needless to attempt to dis- 

 prove the numerous theories which have been suggested as 

 to the action of the bile on the chyme. 1 Thus it was said 

 that the bile being alkaline, and the chyme acid, these two 

 fluids neutralized each other, and that, from the product of 

 the stomach, the bile precipitated a crude chyme (chyme brut), 

 under the form of flakes; these we have already shown to be 

 simply produced from the epithelium by means of desquama- 

 tion, which may, perhaps, take place under the influence of 

 the bile. It was also supposed that this fluid finely divided 

 or made an emulsion of the fats, etc. 



Another class of theories, less opposed to facts than the 



1 See Blondlot, " Inutilite de la Bile dans la Digestion propro- 

 mentdite." Nancy, 1851. 



