TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 99 



secretion was influenced by merciny. It was composed of Profs. Christison and 

 Maelagan, of the Edinburgh University, Dr. James Rogers, formerly of St. Peters- 

 bnrgh, Drs. Eutlierford, Gamgee, and Fraser, Assistants in the Edinburgh Univer- 

 sity, and of Prof Bennett, the Chairman and Reporter. 



After studying all that had been previously published by authors (an able 

 Report on which had been furnished by Dr. Rogers), the Committee first took into 

 consideration what method it was best for them to pursiie. It was then pointed 

 out by Dr. Gamgee that, in the opinion of modern chemists, no kind of examination 

 of the fa;ces could yield trustworthy results. Supposing that the chief and cha- 

 racteristic constituents of the bile found their way into the faeces vmchanged, im- 

 perfections in the analytical methods at our disposal rendered its quantitative ana- 

 lysis impossible. The plan of ascertaining the amount of bile-acids indirectly by 

 means of nitrogen and sidphur determinations of the alcoholic extract, while most 

 unsatisfactoiT in the case of pure bile, is still more so when applied to the alcoholic 

 exti-act of fffices. The method of Hoppe-Seyler of Tubingen, who calculated the 

 amount of bile-acids from the effect which their solutions exert upon a ray of 

 polarized light, presents such complexity and difficult}' as to render its systematic 

 employment in any series of analj-ses altogether inapplicable. As to the colouring- 

 matters of bile, there is no direct method known by which they can be estimated. 

 It was further argued that, did we even possess means of estimating the bile pro- 

 ducts, it is only a small portion of such as are secreted by tlie liver which can be 

 foimd in the alvine discharges. Bidder and Schmidt ascertained that the amount 

 of nnoxidized sulphur in them only represented one-eighth part of the total sulphur 

 which the liver secretes, and that of the other constituents of the bile the larger 

 proportion are absorbed. That under the influence of pm-gatives unchanged bile is 

 occasionally discharged from the bowel, is true, but this furnishes no proof of any 

 increase of that secretion ; for under ordinaiy circumstances it is decomposed and 

 absorbed in the alimentary canal, and any cause which increases the rapidity of 

 its passage there must render absoi-ption and decomposition less complete. These 

 arguments convinced the Committee that no accurate information as to the 

 amount of bile secreted by the liver was to be obtained hy an examination of the 

 freces. They therefore resolved that the collection of bile directly through arti- 

 ficial fistuhe made with the gall-bladder was the only means open to them of de- 

 tenuining how far mercury influenced that secretion. 



Prof. Bennett then described the efforts made to establish fistulse in fom-teen dogs, 

 and the apparatus which had been constructed to collect the bile and prevent its 

 being distm-bed by the animal. • The investigations were carefully conducted by 

 Dr. W. Rutherford and Dr. Gamgee, occasionally assisted byDi-. Fraser, and super- 

 intended by the Committee. He gave, in a tabidar form, the results of fom- series 

 of experiments to detei-mine the amoimt of bile secreted without and with mer- 

 cm-y. It was soon observed that the amount of bile obtained vaiied gTeatly from 

 day to day, irrespective of the amoimt of food and drink given, or any other known 

 circumstance. This pointed out a serious fallacy in the observations of previous 

 experimenters, who had been satisfied with estimating the amount of bile formed 

 by collecting it for a few hoiu's, or at most for one or two days. In each series of 

 experiments, an average of the collections was taken for six entire days, first with- 

 out and then with mercurj', and the quantities obtained were calculated so as to 

 determine the amount of bile as compared with each kilogramme of the dog's weight 

 and each kilogramme of the dog's food. In many important respects the results 

 obtained dift'ered from those of previous investigators. It is unnecessary to repro- 

 duce the tables and observations made in this abstract, because it was pointed out 

 that further researches were required before so difficult and intricate a subject 

 could be siifiiciently investigated to wan'ant the formation of conclusions. All 

 that need be stated at present is, that in the experiments hitherto made, mercmy 

 had not caused any sensible effects either upon the biliary or urinary secretions. 

 The author concluded by observing that, shoiild the Section consider'the researches 

 of the Committee so far deserving of encouragement as to be a.ssisted by a small 

 grant fi'om the funds of the Association, he hoped to be enabled to report more 

 definite results next year. 



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