248 . PROFESSOR RUTHERFORD ON THE © 
Necropsy.—The upper fourth of the small intestine contained a consider- 
able quantity of somewhat dark fluid, looking as if bile had been injected. 
Possibly some bile had, in this case, escaped from the bile-ducts into the 
intestine during the performance of the operation. The presence or absence 
of bile would have been determined by testing the fluid for bile-pigment, but 
unhappily a portion set aside for that purpose was lost. 
This experiment therefore is inconclusive as regards the point at issue, viz., 
whether or not mercuric chloride is absorbed from the intestine without the 
presence of bile. But we felt that it would scarcely be justifiable to perform 
yet another experiment to settle the point; for it is to the last degree im- 
probable that bile:is necessary, and probably no one will feel inclined to main- 
tain that it is. 
TABLE XXXIV. 
Secretion of Bile per Kilo- 
gramme of Body 
= 5 2 our. 
Mercury Soe | ees call 
Before. After. 
Te eee sae seat) 0:0077 017 cc. | 0-47 cc, 
ee eee \ aes 00071 | 020ce, | 055 ce, 
" Experiment 78 | a Powe ae 0-48 ce. | 0°72 ce. 
to) . ” 
Me cee Se O04} | 02200 | Oebige 
D se) » 
* Result of Experiments with Mercuric Chloride.—These experiments con- 
clusively prove that mercuric chloride is a powerful hepatic stimulant in the 
dog. Probably—now that attention is specially directed to the subject—it will 
also be found to stimulate the liver of man; for the experiments already 
referred to (p. 105), that were carried out by the author for Bennert’s Com- 
mittee, showed that the general effects of mercuric chloride on the dog are 
similar to those observed in man. Doubtless the converse will be found to hold. 
In the series of experiments, just referred to, on the production of mer- 
curialism in the dog, the mercuric chloride was always injected subcutaneously, 
and in two experiments on the action of this substance on the biliary secretion, 
performed for that committee, the drug was given in the same manner. This 
