VARIATIONS AND FUNCTIONS OF BILE. 



189 



If we apply to the human subject the average results obtained by / 

 Bidder and Schmidt from the cat and dog, we find that, in an adult 

 man, weighing 1-iO pounds, the daily quantity of the bile will be 

 certainly not less than 16,9-iO grains, or very nearly 2J pounds 

 avoirdupois. 



Ills a matter of great importance, in regard to the bile, as well 

 as the other intestinal fluids, to ascertain whether it be a constant 

 secretion, like the urine and perspiration, or whether it be intermit- 

 tent, like the gastric j uice, and discharged only during the digestive 

 process. In order to determine this point, we have performed the 

 following series of experiments on dogs. The animals were kept 

 confined, and killed at various periods after feeding, sometimes by 

 the inoculation of woorara, sometimes by hydrocyanic acid, but 

 most frequently by section of the medulla oblongata. The con- 

 tents of the intestine were then collected and examined. In all 

 instances, the bile was also taken from the gall-bladder, and treated 

 in the same way, for purposes of comparison. The intestinal con- 

 tents always presented some peculiarities of appearance when treated 

 with alcohol and ether, owing probably to the presence of other 

 substances than the bile ; but they always gave evidence of the 

 presence of biliary matters 



as well. The biliary sub- Fi s- 52 - 



stances could almost always 

 be recognized by the mi- 

 croscope in the ether preci- 

 pitate of the alcoholic solu- 

 tion ; the resinous substance, 

 under the form of rounded, 

 oily-looking drops (Fig. 52), 

 and the other, under the 

 form of crystalline groups, 

 generally presenting the 

 appearance of double bun- 

 dles of slender, radiating, 

 slightly curved or wavy, 

 needle - shaped crystals. 

 These substances, dissolved 

 in water, gave a purple 



color with sugar and sulphuric acid. These experiments were 

 tried after the animals had been kept for one, two, three, five, six, 

 seven, eight, and twelve days without food. The result showed that, 



CRYSTALLINE ANP RESINOUS BILIARY SUB- 

 STANCES; from Small Intestine of Dog, after two days' 

 fasting. 



