STUDIES ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE LIVER

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Abstract
Dogs (number not stated) were used exclusively, and all operative procedures were performed under ether anesthesia. The methods of study were: (1) Comparison of Eck fistula dogs with normal dogs; (2) comparison of the effectiveness of strychnine injected into the peripheral vascular system, and injection into the portal vein; (3) ability of incubated pulp of liver to destroy strychnine; (4) estimation of strychnine introduced into the circulation of a heart-lung-liver perfusion, compared with that introduced into a heart-lung-hind-limb preparation; (5) susceptibility of normal and dehepatized dogs to strychnine; (6) rate of disappearance of strychnine from the blood stream of normal and dehepatized dogs. The exclusive use of any single method is not recommended. However, by the combined use of the analytic and the synthetic methods (organism without a liver and surviving liver without the organism), respectively, definite evidence concerning the liver as a detoxicating organ can be obtained. Starling''s heart-lung preparation can be used for the perfusion of the liyer, or the hind limb of a dog. By this means it is possible to investigate the ability of the liyer and of the hind leg to destroy any substance for which a suitable quantitative method is available. The properly prepared dehepatized dog is an ideal subject for the study of the detoxicating function of the liver. The liver of the dog apparently possesses a highly specialized ability to immediately arrest and subsequently destroy strychnine.

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