142 PROFESSOR RUTHERFORD ON THE 
opened, and the cannula placed in the common bile-duct, as above indicated. 
The wound in the abdomen was closed, the animal enveloped in cotton wad- 
ding, and the bile collected. As the experiment proceeded, the effect of the 
curara gradually wore off, owing to its elimination, and it was necessary to 
inject from two to four milligrammes from time to time (3, ¢, d, e, f, g, fig. 1), 
If the curve be examined, it will be observed that these doses had no apparent 
effect on the biliary secretion, which was in this case tolerably regular. After 
falling until the middle of the third hour, it increased for a time and then fell 
somewhat. At the eighth hour it was slightly below what it had been at the 
close of the first. 
Experiment 2. Dog that had fasted seventeen hours. Weight 18:7 kilo- 
grammes (fig. 2). 
As it is evident from these 
two experiments that doses 
of curara such as those given 
above do not apparently 
affect the biliary secretion, 
the times at which they were 
given are not indicated in any 
of the subsequent charts, for 
in all cases curara was given 
Fig. 2.—Section of bile by a fasting dog with nothing but curara ad- as above indicated, The 
ministered. 20 mill. given atc; 4 mill. given atc’, c’, ¢”,c,;3 opeat value of this substance 
mill. given at c®. 3 . 5 ; 
in this connection is, that 
while not obviously affecting biliary secretion, as chloroform does, it paralyses 
voluntary movement, and thus prevents the irregular outflow of the bile that 
ensues when the abdominal muscles contract. 
The analysis of the bile in such a case as the above having been omitted, 
another experiment was performed for the purpose of supplying the want. 
Experiment 3. Dog that had fasted nineteen hours. Weight 15 kilogrammes. 
-—Nothing was given but curara 
in doses similar to those above- 
mentioned (fig. 3). 
The biliary flow was not so 
regular in this as in the previous 
cases. The mean has been 
taken, and triangles with dotted 
Fig. 3.—Secretion of bile ‘ a fasting dog with nothing but curara lines are superadded m fig. 3 
~ administered. for the purpose of indicating 
the probable position of the dots had the secretion been regwar. This was 
done on the supposition—entertained until more experience was gained—that 
