AND FUNCTION OF THE LIVER. 
25 
in the cells, has no ready means of escape ; it must traverse a long series before it can 
be received into the ducts, and those who affirm that it exists in the cells, point to 
the yellow matter contained visibly in their interior as proof of its presence. It is 
to be supposed therefore that if this yellow matter be bile it will give the charac- 
teristic reaction of this fluid. 
Experiments. 
(1.) Healthy Sheep’s liver weighing 2 lbs. Separated the mass of the parenchyma 
as much as possible from the larger vessels, made a watery extract from which the 
albumen was separated. Trommer’s test showed the presence of sugar in abundance ; 
Pettenkofer’s gave no indications of bile ; evaporatedt he extract to perfect dryness, 
and then treated it with cold absolute alcohol, and then with boiling spirit, neither 
of which gave any indications of bile. The solutions tested were very concentrated ; 
the whole extract obtained from the mass of 2 lbs. weight was contained in about 
1 oz. of fluid. 
(2.) A portion of a Pig’s liver, treated in a similar manner. Abundance of sugar 
was obtained, no trace of bile. 
(3.) A healthy Human liver, weight 2 lbs. ; the whole parenchyma was treated in 
the same way as that in experiment (1). The watery extract gave abundance of 
sugar, no bile. The cold alcoholic solution precipitated by ether gave no indication 
of the presence of a salt of cholic acid. 
(4.) A small piece of Human liver. The cells engorged with yellow matter ; first 
treated with alcohol, which on testing gave no trace of bile, but took up a beautiful 
deep yellow pigment and oily matter. The watery extract gave no trace either of bile 
or sugar, but the addition of sulphate of copper and liquor potassse produced a beau- 
tiful azure solution, from which nothing was precipitable by heat. 
The addition of a very minute portion of bile to the alcoholic solutions caused the 
characteristic reaction to take place with Pettenkofer’s test. 
(5.) A Human liver; the subject a strong healthy man, who died from a fracture 
of the thigh ; it presented a healthy appearance. No trace of sugar or bile was found 
in it. The patient had partaken of no food for two days previous to death, excepting 
a small quantity of beef-tea from time to time. 
(6.) A portion of Human liver, of decided yellow tint, the cells generally gorged 
with oil, some containing yellow matter. The man died from the shock of an acci- 
dent, which caused fraeture of the pelvis. The ethereal extract gave a liquid oily 
product, on which nitric acid produced a play of colours, but no trace of cholic acid 
was found by Pettenkofer’s test. The aleoholic extraet gave a solid fat, but not 
of so deep a colour as the ethereal, and a very slight reaction with nitric acid. No 
trace of cholic acid was found in it. The watery extract gave no trace of sugar or 
bile. Potash and copper being added gave a dirty brown solution, from which nothing 
was thrown down by heat or was deposited after standing. 
MDCCCLIII. 
E 
