DRAINAGE OF THE HEPATIC DUCT, CONSIDERED ESPECIALLY IN SERIOUS INFECTIOUS PROCESSES OF THE LIVER.

In a recent paper¹ relative to the advantages of surgical treatment of biliary infection resulting in hepatic cirrhosis, I pointed out that the large number of cirrhoses represented the last stage of an irritative process in the liver and were in reality chronic hepatites originating from infection. Biliary cirrhosis is at the present time considered as infectious radicular angiocholitis, either subacute or chronic, and consequently it is quite logical to treat the pathologic condition like any infectious angiocholitis; in other words, by drainage of the gall bladder in order to give exit to the septic bile. In order to obtain a successful outcome, however, the drainage should be instituted at a time when the hepatic cell has not been destroyed by a sclerous process resulting from the infection. On the other hand, a new conception has come to light which accords to infection a part in the pathogenesis of