Excerpt from Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases of the Liver A Brief tabulation of the functions of the liver will undoubtedly impress the reader with the great physiologic importance of the liver (the largest organ of the body), and it will also show the enormous working field for physiologists, pathologists, and clinicians; namely, the recognition of the functional derangements of the liver, as well as the diseases resulting directly from the alteration in structure of the hepatic cells, and, lastly, many gastro-intestinal diseases. The functions ascribed to the liver arc: 1. The formation of bile. Bile is principally concerned in the digestion of fat. 2. Glycogenic function. The conversion of carbohydrates into glycogen and the reconversion of glycogen into sugar. 3. The conversion of amino bodies formed during the process of digestion into urea. 4. Antitoxic or protective function, which is commonly referred to as the "detoxifying action of the liver." The proper functions of the liver are dependent upon the integrity of the liver cells. When for any reason the hepatic cells become morphologically altered we must expect serious interference in the health of the individual directly in proportion to the degree of damage to the cells in question. Either one or more of the functions may be affected. While there are many primary diseases of the liver we have a goodly number resulting from changes elsewhere in the body. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.