Experimental Hepatogenous Cholecystitis.

Abstract

Gall bladder bile in dogs cultured in our laboratory has been shown by Rewbridge1 to be almost invariably sterile.In a series of experiments in which biliary stasis had been present for varying periods of time B. welchii and lesser numbers of cocci and B. coli were grown from the bile in 76% of cases. Biliary stasis had been produced not only by ligating the cystic duct, care being taken to avoid the cystic artery, but also by common duct ligation and by both procedures.In most of these experiments not only were these bacteria present but marked evidences of cholecystitis were found. Gross specimens of these gall bladders revealed the interesting fact that the infection undoubtedly made its way into the gall bladder not through the bile or the blood stream but by direct extension from the liver. This could be seen by killing the dogs in various stages of the process. In the early stages (1-4 days), the gall bladders presented the picture of a cholecystitis only on the hepatic surfaces. The free peritoneal...