JORIGIN OF THE BILIAEY DUCTS. 



875 



Commencements of the Ducts. The smallest bile-ducts which are satisfac- 

 torily known, ramify between the lobules along with the interlobular blood- 

 vessels : but it is still a matter of discussion how the bile enters these ducts, 

 and what is the mode of its secretion. 



Fig. 613. 



Fig. 613. DIAGRAMS SHOWING THE ARRANGEMENT OP THE BLOOD-VESSELS AND DUCTS 



WITHIN AND BETWEEN THE LOBULES, ACCORDING TO KlERNAN. 2 T 



In A, p, p, interlobular branches of the portal vein ; I, I, intralobular venous plexus, 

 connecting the portal veins (p, p) with the intralobular vein (A) in the centre, which is 

 the commencing branch of the hepatic vein ; in B, d } d are two branches of the hepatic 

 duct, which is supposed to commence in a plexus situated towards the circumference of 

 the lobule marked b, b, called by Kiernan the biliary plexus. Within this is seen the 

 central part of the lobule, containing branches of the intralobular (hepatic) vein. 



Kiernan described the smallest biliary ducts as commencing within the 

 lobules by numerous ramifications in the form of a close network, which 

 he was only able to inject in the outer part of each lobule. Since the 

 discovery of the hepatic cells, however, it has been very generally supposed 



Fig. 614. 



Fig. 614. VIEW OF SOME OP THE SMALLEST BILIARY DUCTS ILLUSTRATING BEALE'S 

 VIEW OP THEIR RELATION TO THE BILIARY CELLS (from Kolliker after Beale). ~ 



The drawing is taken from an injected preparation of the pig's liver. 



a, small branch of an interlobular hepatic duct ; b, smallest biliary ducts ; c, portions 

 of the cellular part of the lobule in which the cells are seen within tubes which com- 

 municate with the finest ducts. 



