A HISTOKY OF METABOLISM 59 



that the larger part, perhaps seven-eighths of the biliary solids return to 

 the blood and undergo further metabolic transformations before they are 

 removed from the body by other channels." 



When Bidder and Schmidt operated on about a dozen cats by the 

 method of Schwann they all died of peritonitis in tavo or three days, but 

 in dogs only two of eleven died of peritonitis. 



Liebig had stated that the bile was reabsorbed and was used as a 

 "respirat'ion stuff." It was formed in the body and then later, when re- 

 absorbed, was oxidized to carbon dioxid, being an example of the steps 

 in the metamorphosis of organic substance during life. To what an extent 

 does this process" take place? 



A cat excreted 0.6 gm. bile containing 0.033 gm. solids per kilogram 

 of animal in the third hour after a meal. 



There was no increase in the flow of the bile after giving fat. The 

 quantity was the same as that after 48 hours fasting. But the ingestion 

 of meat increased the volume of the flow and the weight of the solid 

 constituents. 



In dogs with bile fistulse, the secretion of the bile cannot be very far 

 from normal because of the complete digestion of the foodstuffs, of the 

 effect of these upon the bile flow and of the perfectly normal condition 

 of the liver and its vascular supply. 



This fate of the bile does not exclude its having certain functions, 

 while it is present in the gastro-intestinal tract. They can confirm the 

 recent work of Hoffmann regarding the antiseptic action of the bile on 

 the intestinal contents. For they observed that dogs whose bile is con- 

 ducted away through a fistula pass feces which have an extremely foul, 

 almost carrion-like, odor, and that there is flatulence induced by a gas of 

 evil odor. However, when bread alone was given the feces and fecal 

 gas had no odor. 



Much more important is the question whether the bile has a digestive 

 action in making materials more fluid. When meat is given to dogs 

 with biliary fistula?, it is perfectly digested and absorbed and no particles 

 of undigested meat can be microscopically detected in the dog's 

 feces. This was true even when large quantities of meat were given. 

 However, when 113.6 gm. of fat were ingested, 72.2 gm. of fat substances 

 appeared in the feces. When black or white bread was given no starch 

 granules were present in the feces and the dog even gained weight. But 

 when fat was given there was very poor absorption ; in one case only one- 

 tenth was absorbed. Hence a normal dog absorbs much more fat than 

 one with a bile fistula. 



They find, also, that there is much less fat in the chyle of the thoracic 

 duct of a dog which had been provided with a biliary fistula than in that 

 of a normal animal. The action of the bile is evidently upon fat or 

 upon the absorbing intestinal surface. 



