EFFECTS OF PURGATIVES ON BILE 



gation, together witli different amounts of tlie drugs used. It is 

 now quite generally believed that with the small quantities usually 

 employed in medicine, the irritation is probably only sufficient to 

 accelerate peristalsis and the fluid condition of the feces is due to the 

 fluid in the food and from the ordinary secretions from the digestive 

 glands. In these cases the intestines are not actually inflamed but 

 may be somewhat congested as in all glands in an abnormal state of 

 activity. 



But when excessive doses are given, there may be a true in- 

 flammation of the intestines accompanied by increased movement, 

 congestion, exudation of fluid into the bowel an^ pain. 



The colic is probably due not to the inflammation of the intestines 

 but to the more vigorous muscular contractions of the bowel and the 

 difficulty in forcing the hard fecal matter along. The interval 

 between administration and purgation depends somewhat upon the 

 dose, the individual drug, and the animal to which administered. 

 Horses and cattle are rarely purged under 12 — 24 hours with the 

 usual purgative measures, while dogs will usually purge in from 5 

 to 10 hours. The movements of the intestines caused by purgatives 

 is accompanied by a marked leucocytosis, similar to that during 

 digestion. 



Effects Upon the Bile. It was formerly believed that a 

 majority of the vegetable purgatives stimulated the liver and in- 

 creased the secretion cf bile. These were known as cholagogues. 

 This action is now knovra not to exist except in a very few cases ; the 

 supposed cholagogue action is simply caused by the more rapid 

 movements of the contents of the intestine, . so that less time is 

 given for absorption of the bile constituents, which are therefore 

 found in greater quantity in the feces. 



A cholagogue is defined as a substance which will increase the 

 secretion of bile, and since the bile salts usually keep pace with the 

 secretion, the amount of secretion can be generally accepted as an 

 estimate of the cholagogue action. 



The following conclusions have been drawn from experimenta- 

 tion: 



Waier^ even in large amounts, does not alter the quantity of bile ; 

 and so the biliary secretion has been likened to the salivary and does 

 not resemble that of the kidneys. 



The bile itself or the bile salts are by far the most certain and 

 powerful cholagogues we have. They produce a rapid increase, 

 which lasts for several hours and the secretion corresponds to the 

 amount given, the larger the dose the larger the secretion, the liquid 

 and solids being increased proportionately. 



Several other bodies have a mild or even moderate cholagogue 

 effect, such as turpentine, sodium benzoate, sodium salicylate and 

 podophyllum. 



