THE COMPOSITION OF HUMAN GALLBLADDER BILE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CHOLELITHIASIS

Abstract

Chemical investigations of the activity of the gallbladder have aided notably in clarifying the etiology of gallstones. Detailed reviews have been published by Lichtwitz (1) and Ivy (45). Particularly important is the striking alteration of gallbladder function caused by infection of or injury to the mucosa demonstrated in the dog by the experiments of Drury, Rous and McMaster; Ravdin, Johnston and Riegel; and of Andrews and associates. It has been shown by these work-ers that changes in the composition of bile ex-posed to the action of pathologically altered gall-bladders tended to diminish the effectiveness of the bile as a solvent for cholesterol. Thus, con-siderable experimental evidence has been pre-