214 " REPORT—1868. 
which are of paramount importance in the present inquiry, and the dimi- 
nution of these on the 29th is unmistakeable. 
The bile was finally collected for two days, August 2nd and 3rd, on which 
no mercury was given. There was no purgation on these days, and the 
amount of bile secreted suddenly increased. Though the amount was not 
nearly so great as before mercury was given, it was nevertheless much above 
the last two days during its administration. 
Previous to the exhibition of mercury the feces were of a clay-colour, 
mixed with slate-coloured patches. During and on the two days after the mer- 
cury was given they were more uniformly slate-coloured. During the whole 
experiment the health of the animal was excellent, neither the diarrhcea nor 
the mercurial purgation seemed to affect it. 
This series of observations is most conclusive as to the influence of purgative 
doses of calomel upon the biliary secretion. Under their influence there was 
a steady diminution in the secretion, and the moment the administration of 
the drug was suspended, the secretion underwent an increase. 
It is important to observe that in this case purgation, whether spontaneous 
as on the 26th, or as the result of mercurials, diminished the secretion of bile. 
Other observations will be given further on (see Tables XVII., XVIII., and 
XIX.), which show that when induced by other drugs it likewise diminishes 
the biliary secretion. 
The amount of bile secreted by this dog was very large, greater in proportion 
to the weight of the animal than in any other case. At first we were inclined 
to suppose that this might be due to the animal being fed upon Liver; but in 
the case of dog 6, to be described presently, the amount secreted per kilo- 
gramme of dog was nearly as great, although the animal ate no liver; and 
the amount per 100 grammes of dry food was very much greater. 
In the foregoing experiment the dose of blue pill given, although it 
diminished the bile solids, increased that of the bile fluid. It was 
important to ascertain whether or not the same result would be obtained on 
another trial. In another dog (No. 7) ten grains of blue pill were given on 
one day, and fifteen grains on the day following. Slight purgation was pro- 
duced by the first dose, decided purgation by the second. On the day pre- 
ceding the administration of the mercury, the amount of fluid bile was 173-9 
grammes, of bile solids 9°35 grammes. — The bile was lost on the day that 
the first dose of blue pill was given, but on the next day it had fallen to 119-9 
grammes, and the bile solids to 7-5 grammes. 
On both days the animal consumed about the same quantity of food. It is 
therefore clear that the observation recorded in the case of dog 5 on the 29th 
of July cannot be held as indicating the power of blue pill to increase the 
fluid portion of the bile; while this observation on dog 7 only confirms the 
result in the case of dog 5, viz. that a purgative dose of blue pill diminishes 
the amount of bile solids secreted. 
Results of the preceding observations on the Cholagogue Action of 
Pil. Hydrargyri and Calomel. 
1. Pil. Hydrargyri, when given in doses which did not produce purgation, 
caused no increase of the biliary secretion (Tables IY. and [X.). 
2. Pil. Hydrargyri, when given in doses which produced purgation, dimi- 
nished the biliary secretion (Table X., and non-tabulated observations on 
dog 7). 
3. Calomel, given in doses of ;1, of a grain from six to fourteen times a day, 
