ICTERUS

Abstract

It is known that hemoglobin can be rapidly changed to bile pigment in a circulation confined to the head, neck, and thorax. This excludes direct liver participation (1). These experiments show that hemoglobin can be changed to bile pigment within the pleural or peritoneal cavities. This transformation can usually be detected after eight hours, and the amount can often be estimated quantitatively after an interval of twenty-four hours. Such experiments demonstrate the importance which may attach to extrahepatic bile pigment formation. That bile pigments can be formed without direct liver activity is established beyond doubt.