The action of bile and some of its constituents upon intestinal peristalsis and the circulation

In their experiments with a Vella fistula, Fubini and Luzzati found that a pea, fastened to a thread, passed along the bowel more quickly when ten to fifteen minutes previously they had injected two grams of bile. C. Eckhard, 1 of Giessen, also studied the influence of the bile upon the peristaltic movement of the small intestine.

Eckhard experimented upon rabbits. He used a sodium chloride bath and studied the movements of the intestine in situ after opening the abdomen. After the injection into the duodenum of one cubic centimeter of bile of the rabbit the duodenum remained for ten minutes in absolute rest. He injected three c.c. of bile of rabbit, calf and sheep in different parts of the small intestine with the same result, the intestine remaining quiet fifteen to twenty minutes. If, however, the intestine remained for some time in the salt solution, it became more sensitive to the irritant. With the injection of large quantities of bile there was more frequently than before little wave-like movements, although Eckhard does not feel sure that this was the result of the bile injected.

Drs. Hallion and Netter 1 have studied the influence of bile on the peristalsis of the intestine. They operated on dogs curarized or narcotized by chloralose or by morphine and chloral. By a small button hole in the small (mainly in the duodenum) intestine they introduced a balloon which was connected with a water manometer by means of rubber tubing. The balloon was flexible rubber and mounted upon a metal tube perforated by a large number of lateral openings, which prevented bends of the balloon upon itself. The water manometer was connected with a Marey tambour which inscribed the movements.