Abstract
One of the most widely accepted statements in basic science medical literature is that the bile pigments are derived from the breakdown of blood hemoglobin. The evidence for this view dates back at least 100 years to the now classic observation of Virchow<sup>1</sup>that the orange pigment, "hematoidin," found at the site of old blood extravasations were similar to bilirubin. Many years later, Hans Fischer and his co-workers<sup>2</sup>conclusively demonstrated that "hematoidin" was identical with bilirubin. Other well known investigators who contributed evidence in support of the above view include Kühne, Herrmann and, more recently in this country, Whipple and his group,<sup>3</sup>who demonstrated that the heme of hemoglobin is almost quantitatively converted to bilirubin in the dog. Currently, the problem of the origin of the bile pigments is being reinvestigated at Columbia University with the modern isotopic tracer technic. These studies in general confirm the earlier
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