178 



THE BILE. 



when itself in solution in water, of dissolving a certain quantity of 

 fat; and it is probably owing to-tliis circumstance that some free 

 fat is present in the bile. The two biliary substances are obtained 

 from ox bile in the following manner : 



The bile is first evaporated to dryness by the water-bath. The 

 dry residue is then pulverized and treated with absolute alcohol, in 

 the proportion of at least 3j of alcohol to every five grains of dry 

 residue. The filtered alcoholic solution has a clear yellowish color. 

 It contains, beside the glyko-cholate and tauro-cholate of soda, the 

 coloring matter and more or less of the fats originally present in 

 the bile. On the addition of a small quantity of ether, a dense, 

 whitish precipitate is formed, which disappears again on agitating 

 and thoroughly mixing the fluids. On the repeated addition of 

 ether, the precipitate again falls down, and when the ether has been 

 added in considerable excess, six to twelve times the volume of the 

 alcoholic solution, the precipitate remains permanent, and the whole 

 mixture is filled with a dense, whitish, opaque deposit, consisting 

 of the glyko-cholate and tauro-cholate of soda, thrown down under 

 the form of heavy flakes and granules, part of which subside to 



Fig. 47. 



Fig. 43. 



OX-BILE, extracted with absolute 

 alcohol and precipitated with ether. 



GT.YKO-CHOLATE op SODA FROM OX-BTLE, 

 after two days' crystallization. At the lower part of 

 the figure the crystals are melting into drops, from the 

 evaporation of the ether and absorption of moisture. 



the bottom of the test-tube, while part remain for a time in suspen- 

 sion. Gradually these flakes and granules unite with each other 

 and fuse together into clear, brownish-yellow, oily, or resinous- 



