210 j REPORT—1868. 
On October 30th seven pills, each containing ;4, of a grain of calomel, 
were given with an hour’s interval between each. On October 31st seven 
pills, on November Ist fourteen pills, and on November 2nd six pills were 
administered in the same way as above mentioned.’ 
The effect on the general health was very marked. Soon after the admi- 
nistration of the drug was begun the appetite failed, and the animal took no 
food of any kind during three of the four days. . The strength became 
rapidly exhausted, and the animal died on November 3, apparently from 
inanition. No salivation, foetid breath, ulceration of gums, or purgation 
were produced by the mcdicire. 
The average of the second series of observations shows that during the four 
days on which the calomel was given the secretion of bile was not influenced. 
It was almost exactly the same in the second as during the first period, thus 
distinctly showing that the calomel cannot be said to have affected it at all. 
Tt is also to be observed that although during the second four days the animal 
took food only once, the amount of bile secreted was on an average very nearly 
the same as during the first four days when it ate well. This might at first 
sight be considered as supporting the notion that mercury increases the 
biliary secretion. But were it true that in the present case the mercury had 
kept up the secretion notwithstanding the diminution in the food, then cer- 
tainly it ought to increase the secretion when a due supply of food is taken ; 
for it cannot be held that the influence of food is anything but highly fayour- 
able to the secretion. The results given in Table LX. will show that such is 
not the case. 
Dog 4 was a healthy collie, about eighteen months old, weighing 19 kilogs. 
The operation for biliary fistula was performed on the 19th of October, 1867. 
The wound in the abdominal wall healed slowly. As the fistulous opening 
was very irritable, the canula was not introduced. Instead of the canula and 
india-rubber bag previously employed, a sponge was used to collect the bile ; 
it was secured in a tin box below the fistulous opening. The feces became 
clay-coloured soon after the fistula was established. 
The general health of the animal was excellent. when the observations re- 
corded in Table IX. p. 211, were begun. 
The bile was collected for five consecutive days previous to the administration 
of mercury, in order to ascertain the average amount secreted daily. This was : 
of fluid bile 67-1 grammes, of bile solids 3:592 grammes, of bile salts 
0-842 gramme. At the end of this period the dog was in excellent health. 
On November 8th the administration of mercury was begun. During the 
twenty-four hours previous to the collection of bile on that day, ten pills, 
each containing one-twelth of a grain of calomel, were given, one pill at a 
time, with an hour’s interval between each. On the next day twelve such 
pills were given. On November 10th ten grains Pil. Hydrargyri were admi- 
nistered in one dose. On the 11th and 12th no mercury was given. On the 
13th the ten grains of Pil. Hydrargyri were repeated. On the 14th nine calo- 
mel pills were given as above; and on the last day of the observations the 
mercury was withheld. 
During the five days on which calomel or blue pill was administered in the 
above modes, the amount of: bile secreted was diminished to nearly a half of 
what it was in the period preceding the administration of the mereury ; and 
this, although nearly as much food was consumed during as before the exhi- 
bition of the drug. Moreover, during the second period, the average amount of 
bile scereted was, on the whole, greater on the days when no mercury was 
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