OF CURRENT FORCE DURING SECRETION. 
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the venous blood Jiowing from the liver, we obtain evidence of the secreted product and 
the blood being in opposite electric states. 
Can we refer these effects to any known actions ? And 
First. To the heterogeneity of fluids. Let us first ascertain what we mean by the 
phrase heterogeneity of fiuids, otherwise it will serve as a convenient cloak for our 
ignorance. According to the researches of Becquerel, during the reaction of two 
liquids upon each other, that which performs the part of an acid, takes positive, that 
of an alkali, negative electricity. From the experiments we have just related, we find 
that the electrode in contact with the blood is positive. Are we then in a condition 
to say that the blood is acid to the bile, and that the effects are due to the combination 
of the blood with the bile r Where do they combine ? Where are the acting points in 
the circuit ? According to all chemical analyses the blood is supposed to contain a 
free alkali, and it is said that the bile contains acids, such as the choleic, or bilic 
acids, &c. If then we are to refer the effects to the heterogeneity of the fluids, we 
must consider the blood as acid, and not only that, but that immediately after the 
separation of the secreted product from the blood it immediately recombines with 
the blood. 
Let us however just assume, according to the idea, first, we believe, entertained by 
Wollaston, that the effects are analogous to those which occur in the cell of a voltaic 
circuit, viz. to those of decomposition, and we shall now find that the results obtained 
with the galvanometer confirm this view. The electrode in contact with the cation 
(alkali) in a voltaic circuit is positive ; if then we suppose that the blood contains the 
cation and the bile the anion, we should naturally expect that the results upon the 
galvanometer would be such as do occur. As this is the point to be proved, we shall 
now leave it and notice one or two other circumstances to which the effects may be 
referred ; and 
Secondly. To catalytic actions, or the combining power of platinum. We have 
strong experimental reasons for believing that when blood escapes from a wound it 
enters into combination with the oxygen of the atmosphere ; when a plate of platinum 
therefore is in contact with the blood, actions similar to those which occur in the 
gas-battery take place. We have a right to suppose that similar actions would occur 
at the other electrode, namely, that in contact with the bile ; still, it might not 
necessarily follow that the latter would counteract the effects of the former. Judging 
then from the direction of the current, the effects may be fairly supposed to be due 
to the actions which occur between the atmosphere and the blood, or, in other words, 
to catalytic actions. 
There can be no doubt that the effects observed are partly due to catalytic actions, 
and we may even go further and say, that they must be so as a necessary conse- 
quence. We could not wish for a stronger confirmation of our views : just now we 
were obliged to suppose the blood to be acid — to contain an anion — to account for the 
effect; now we are obliged to suppose it to contain a cation — to be alkaline — to account 
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