196 THE BILE. 



essentially interfered with, and none of the food was discharged 

 with the feces ; but there was much rumbling and gurgling in the 

 intestines, and abundant discharge of flatus, more strongly marked 

 in one instance than in the other. There was no pain ; and death 

 took place, at last, without any violent symptoms, but by a simple 

 and gradual failure of the vital powers. 



A similar experiment has been successfully performed by Prof. 

 A. Flint, Jr. 1 In this instance the animal lived for thirty-eight 

 days after the operation, and died finally of inanition ; the symp- 

 toms agreeing in every important particular, with those reported 

 by Bidder and Schmidt. 



How is it, then, that although the bile be not an active -agent in 

 digestion, its presence in the alimentary canal is still essential to 

 life ? AVhat office does it perform there, and how is it finally dis- 

 posed of? 



We have already shown that the bile disappears in its passage 

 through the intestine. This disappearance may be explained in 

 two different ways. First, the biliary matters may be actually re- 

 absorbed from the intestine, and taken up by the bloodvessels ; or 

 secondly, they may be sjo_ altered and decomposed by the intestinal 

 fluids as to lose the power of giving Pettenkofer's reaction with 

 sugar and sulphuric acid, and so pass off with the feces in an 

 insoluble form. Bidder and Schmidt 2 have finally determined this 

 point in a satisfactory manner ; and have demonstrated that the 

 biliary substances are actually reabsorbed, by showing that the 

 quantity of sulphur present in the feces is far inferior to that 

 contained in the biliary ingredients as they are discharged into the 

 intestine. 



These observers collected and analyzed all the feces passed, dur- 

 ing five days, by a healthy dog, weighing 17.7 pounds. The entire 

 fecal mass during this period weighed 1508.15 grains, 



Containing / Water 874.20 grains. 



I Solid residue .... 633.95 " 



1508.15 



1 American Journ. Med. Sci., October, 1862. 



2 Op. cit., p. 217. 



