OBSERVATIONS ON THE FUNCTION OF THE GALL BLADDER

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Abstract
A colori-metric method is described for estimating methylene blue, or its leuco base, in bile. Methylene blue, administered orally or intravenously, is excreted into the bile and appears in the gall bladder. The excretion begins immediately after intravenous injection. A concentration of from 1:1100-1:3300 is attained in the bile from the common bile duct within 1 hr. This decreases to 1: 9000-1:36000 after 6 hrs. The gall bladder bile contains methylene blue in a concentration of 1: 700-1: 800 at the end of 6 hrs. Methylene blue has disappeared from the urine and from the liver bile 36 hrs. after oral administration; but the gall bladder bile usually contains the dye even after 72 hrs. The gall bladder does not contract and by so doing, eject its contents into the intestine. Bile does not, under ordinary conditions, leave the gall bladder through the cystic duct, but is absorbed by the mucous membrane and transferred to the circulation. Methylene blue is concentrated in the gall bladder because this dye, and its leuco form, are absorbed less readily than are the bile constituents.

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