SPECIFIC AFFINITIES-LIVER. 159 



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ejoyment of its special properties, in order to exercise 

 this attraction. If the living element become altered, if 

 a disease set in which causes changes in its molecular, 

 physical, or chemical peculiarities, then its power of ex- 

 ercising this special attraction will at the same time also 

 be impaired. 



Let us consider this example with still greater atten- 

 tion. The hepatic cells are almost in direct contact with 

 the walls of the capillaries, from which they are only sepa- 

 rated by a thin layer of delicate connective tissue. If 

 now we were to imagine that the peculiar property pos- 

 sessed by the liver of secreting bile, merely consisted in 

 a particular disposition of the vessels of the organ, we 

 should indeed in no wise be justified in doing so. Simi- 

 lar networks of vessels, in a great measure of a venous 

 nature, are found in several other places, for example, 

 in the lungs. But the peculiarity of the secretion of bile 

 manifestly depends upon the liver-cells, and only so long 

 as the blood flows past in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of the hepatic cells, does the particular attraction of mat- 

 ter continue which characterizes the action of the liver. 



When the blood contains free fat, we see that after a 

 time the hepatic cells take it up in minute particles, and 

 that if the supply continues, the fat becomes more abun- 

 dant and is gradually separated in the form of largish 

 drops within the hepatic cells (Fig. 27, B, b). That 

 which we see in the case of fat in a more palpable form, 

 we must conceive to occur in the case of many other 

 substances in a state of more minute division. Thus for 

 the due performance of secretion it will always be essen- 

 tial that the cells exist in a certain, special condition ; if 

 they become diseased, if a condition be developed in 

 them connected with some important chemical change in 

 their contents, for example, an atrophy, ultimately caus- 

 ing the destruction of the parts, then the power pos- 



