A B S T R A C T The concentrations of bile, salt, lecithin, and cholesterol were determined on each of 66 samples of gall bladder bile from patients with cholesterol gallstones and 25 samples of normal gall bladder bile. When these three constituents were plotted simultaneously on triangular coordinates, a complete separation of the normal and "abnormal" bile was achieved. This separation was the result of an increase in the quantity of cholesterol relative to the amounts of bile salts and lecithin contained in the bile from patients with cholesterol gallstones. An in vitro model system was constructed (on triangular coordinates) that allows prediction of the maximum amount of cholesterol that can be solubilized in solutions containing varying proportions of bile salt and lecithin. When the bile data were compared with the solubility of cholesterol derived from the model system, normal biles were found to be less than saturated with cholesterol, whereas biles from patients with cholesterol gallstones were saturated and in some cases contained insoluble cholesterol in the form of microcrystals.It is suggested that the physical state of bile (i.e., the presence or absence of insoluble cholesAn abstract of this work has appeared in 1967 J. Clin.

SINCE CHOLEDOCHOLITHIASIS is responsible for much of the serious morbidity of gallstone disease the detection and elimination of stones within the common bile duct are major objectives of biliary surgery. Various strategies can be used to achieve these goals. For

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