144 



THE DIGESTIVE FLUIDS. 



AVhile pure bile, unoontaminated with mucus, is a thin transparent 

 fluid, that which is eliminated into the intestinal tract and is found 

 in the gall-bladder is markedly viscid and more or less turbid. Its 

 taste is intensely bitter, with a sweetish and nauseating after-taste. 

 The odor is in many animals peculiar, and at times suggestive of 

 musk. The reaction is normally alkaline. After exposure to the 

 air, however, it soon becomes acid, but becomes alkaline again owing 

 to the development of trimethylamin and ammonia. The specific 

 gravity varies between 1.010 and 1.033. In the gall-bladder it is 

 higher (1.026-1.033), where a constant resorption of water is going 

 on, and where considerable amounts of mucus are added to the bile, 

 than in the bile proper, which is secreted by the liver (1.0101.012). 

 We accordingly find that the amount of solids is greater in the 

 bladder-bile than in that which may be termed the hepatic bile. 



Chemical Composition. The following analyses show the gen- 

 eral chemical composition of the bile in different animals, and also 

 illustrate the differences which exist between bladder-bile and 

 hepatic bile : 



ANALYSES OF THE BLADDER-BILE OF ANIMALS. 



Other organic solids; \ 



insoluble in alcohol ( 



Inorganic solids . . . 



6.0 



12.6 



21.0 



Analyses of the inorganic salts have given the following results, 

 which are taken from Jacobsen and Hoppe-Seyler, respectively. 

 The figures have reference to 100 parts by weight of mineral ash : 



' Including fat. 



