The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-10-03
WHAT GOOD IS A s0UEAKY OLD
 GAII,SAC?

r,or Told and Mrs Sumsey still confuse the gall bladder with the bladder that serves as Ie servoir for the kidney excretion. Propapy n., .nc confusion Is due to the ldct thas os""S' ~' form in either place.
 The gall bladder or gallsac Is ntte pear shaped sac lodged under the risht lope oL .ue liver beneath the edge of the ribs in the north- west quadrant of the abdomen. It has capa- city of an ounce or 0 little more. IL is pi,nu sac having only one common lniet anu outiv'' like a perfume atomer bulb or a camera puip. The tube through which bile enters ana leaves the gallsac is called the mystic duct, l-2 men es long, and as one arm of 0 It joins with the other arm the hepatic duct, coming from the liver to form the base the common bile duct, half the diameter of a lead pencil, which con- veys the bile through its length, about three inches, into the duodcnum or upper poruon or the small intestine at q point three inches be- low the lower opening or outlet (pyiorus) oi the stomach. .
 Bile or gall is secreted constantly by the liver but in the intervals between meals the supply of bile is stored in the gal-bladder. Then when some chyme (dlgestng food) IS elected rom tho stomach through the pylorus Into the duo- denum 1t produces a reflex contraction of the gall bladder which elects spurt or pile 1nto the duodenum. Certain kinds of food produce more active contractions of the gali-bladder and therefore may be especially benefciai where drainage of the gall-bladdcr Is desirable, or to be avoided whore the pain of collie or gall sac inflammation is present. We shall dscuss the diet question later.
 Clearly the gall bladder is 8 luxury one can do without. It's removal causes no untoward effects. When 1t Is causing trouble 1t is as well removed Gall-sacs, tonslls and wisdom teeth are all right to let alone when they are nor nal; when they cause trouble, out with them Removal of the gall-Yac does not interfere with the passage of the bile or gall from the liver to the duodenum. Perhaps patients who have had this operation need more frequent meals for a while, to maintain steady flow of bile
 Inflammation of the lining of the gall : der is called cholecysttis. If concretions or gallstones form that is called cholelithiasis.
 Acute cholecystitis Is q severe illness some- what like acute appendicitis, and we need not consider 1t here. Chronic cholecystitis Is low grade long continued gallbladder trouble This k more common than most victimes suppose. for a large share of cases of chronic cholecys- titis masq for months or years "dys- pepsia," Indigestion" "acidity." "gas," "stom- ach trouble" "blliousncss' and the like. One fact which cannot be gainsaid: No distress from acid, gas or Indigestion" sufficiently great to demand medical relief can be ascribed to indul- gence in any particular food or to a mere die- tary indiscretion. When Indigestion" Is as bad as that 1t is time to stop, the nonsense and find out what Is the matter with the patient. A so- called "gas attack" in the wee small hours war rants at least serious consideration of the ad- visibility of q surgical attack in the morning.