GALL BLADDER. 141 



chrysotoxin. It is as well developed when the gall-bladder has been 

 separated from the liver as when it is left in its natural relations, and it 

 is clear that the undulations in question represent a genuine rhythmic 

 contraction and relaxation of the gall-bladder muscle itself. On this 

 point our experience is merely confirmatory of that of Doyon 1 , who 

 further detected a similar rhythmic activity in the gall-bladder even 

 after its complete removal from the body. 



Occasionally, but not always, we found that raising the water 

 reservoir, and thereby subjecting the gall-bladder to an excessive 

 distending force, produced great exaggeration of this rhythm, so that the 

 record gave the picture of a series of violent contractions alternating 

 with deep relaxations (Fig. 2). Diminution of the pressure restored 

 the normal slight rhythm. 



II. SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SUPPLY. 



Heidenhain 2 found that stimulation of the splanchnic nerves caused 

 an initial increase in the flow of bile, followed by a diminution. He 

 attributed the increase to contraction of the gall-bladder and bile 

 passages, 



Langley 3 found, on the other hand, that intravenous injection of 

 supra-renal extract caused an increased flow of bile, which was preceded 

 by a brief phase of slowing if the gall-bladder was not excluded by a 

 clip. He suggested that the extract probably caused a relaxation of 

 the gall-bladder tone. 



The only direct observations made until recently, of the effect on 

 the gall-bladder of stimulating the splanchnic nerves, are those of 

 Doyon 4 . Using the balloon method of recording, with the apparatus 

 arranged for recording changes of pressure rather than of capacity, he 

 described a prolonged, slow contraction of the gall-bladder as the result 

 of stimulating either splanchnic nerve. With adrenalin he subse- 

 quently obtained a similar effect. 



A paper recently published by Freese 5 also gives an account of the 

 nervous control of the gall-bladder. He appears to have confined his 

 attention to the splanchnics, and obtained varying results motor, 



1 Doyon, Arch, de Physiol. xxv. pp. 678, 710. 1893. 



2 Heidenhain, Stud. d. Phys. Instit. z. Breslau. Parts u and iv.p. 227. 18611868. 



3 Langley. This Journal, xxvii. p. 237. 1901. 



4 Doyon, loc. cit., and Arch, de Physiol. xxvi. p. 19. 1894. 



5 Freese, Bulletin, Johns Hopkins Hospital. June, 1905. 



