212 REPORT—1868. 
given than on the other days. No purgation or any signs of specific action 
were produced by the mercury ; but shortly after its first administration the 
strength of the animal began to decline. Sores, produced by the pressure of 
the apparatus, formed upon the back, in consequence of which the observations 
were interrupted on November 15th. The appetite failed, and the animal 
became so much emaciated that it was killed on the 28th of November. 
It is evident that in this case the mercury diminished the biliary secretion, 
and it is remarkable that it did so without impairing the appetite, and without 
producing purgation. 
In the foregoing experiments purgation had never been produced by the 
mercurials while the bile was being collected ; it seemed, therefore, desirable 
to ascertain the effect upon the biliary secretion of purgative doses. This 
was done in the following experiment. 
Dog 5 was a strong collie, twelve months old, weighing 16-7 kilogrammes. 
The operation for biliary fistula was performed on the 2nd of June, 1868. The 
fistula became satisfactorily established, but on June 28th the dog escaped. It 
was reobtained on the 11th of July. The fistulous opening had closed, the 
dog was jaundiced, conjunctiva and skin yellow, urine loaded with bile. As 
the freces were, however, clay-coloured, an attempt was made to open the 
fundus of the gall-bladder. ‘This was found distended with a thick, gelatinous, 
colourless fluid like white of egg. About ten ounces of this fluid at once flowed 
from the opening. It was not in the least tinged with bile. The glairy fluid 
continued to drop from the opening for several hours, after which the bile 
began to flow, and continued to do so. 
In ten days every symptom of jaundice had disappeared, the feces were 
clay-coloured, and the wound was sufficiently healed to permit of observa- 
tions being begun. In Table X., p. 213, are recorded the results obtained 
before, during, and after purgative doses of calomel and Pil. Hydrargyri were 
given, 
The bile was collected perfectly on six days in order to ascertain the normal 
secretion. The average daily quantity during this period was 357-4 grammes 
of fluid bile, 13:11 grammes bile solids, and 3-12 grammes of bile salts. 
During the first four days the dog was in excellent health. On July 26th it 
was seized with a smart attack of diarrhea, On that day both the fluid and 
solid portions of the bile were diminished. The diarrhcea did not recur after 
the 26th. On the 27th the collection of bile was rejected, owing to urine 
having mingled with it. On the 28th it had risen toa little above the average 
quantity. 
Twenty-four hours previous to the collection of the bile on the 29th, ten 
grains of blue pill were administered. During the three succeeding days ten 
grains of calomel were given daily in one dose on each occasion twenty-four 
hours previous to the bile collection. The dose of blue pill and the first dose 
of calomel produced slight purgation, while decided purgation followed the 
administration of the two last doses. There was a marked diminution in the 
biliary secretion during this period, the average daily amount being: of fluid 
bile 272°67 grammes, of bile solids 7-78 grammes, of bile salts 2:06 
grammes. It will be seen from the Table that this diminution is quite as 
marked in the solid as in the fluid bile. 
‘Tae high amount which the fluid bile attained when ten grains of blue pill 
were given might be supposed to indicate an increase in the secretion. The 
variations in the amount of solid constituents of the bile are, however, those 
