The therapeutic value of glyceryl trinitrate in biliary colic and in the post-operative phase of biliary tract disease

This article concerns the management of some of the failures of biliary surgery, proved to be due to spasm of the sphincter of Oddi, and the use of the drug, glyceryl trinitrate, as a means of relieving this postoperative biliary distress. It is believed that an appreciation of the cause of some of the failures following biliary surgery may place these cases in the category of successful surgery. The use of glyceryl trinitrate and atropine in the management of biliary colic in non-operative cases is also discussed. It appears that glyceryl trinitrate is valuable in biliary colic due to sphincter of Oddi spasm while atropine is more apt to relieve spasm of the collum cysticus at the neck of the gall bladder.