Over the past 10 years there has been a veritable explosion of knowledge in working in this area are fortunate to meet their bile acid research. Those colleagues from time to time at International Meetings which are often held in attractive parts of the world. The 7th International Symposium on bile acids 'Bile Acids in Gastroenterology' was no exception. It took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, from 17th-20th March 1982. This meeting was organised by a Scientific Committee, with representatives from Italy, the United States and Great Britain, in collaboration with the Italian Society of Gastroenterology. The format of the meeting was somewhat different from that of previous years. In addition to the free communications (verbal and poster presentations) which characte rise many scientific meetings, there was also an Advanced Postgraduate Course on bile acids given by a distinguished international panel of experts. Their contributions form the basis for this timely volume which should be of interest both to basic scientists and to clinical investigators alike. The editors are indebted to Dr Gian Germano Giuliani, Gipharmex SpA, Milano, whose generous support made the meeting possible. They also thank Mr P. M. Lister, Managing Editor, MTP Press Limited and Mrs Veronica Cesari, Italian Society of Gastroenterology for help with the publication of these proceedings. R. Herman Dowling ix 1 Liquid-solid extraction, lipophilic gel chromatography and capillary column gas chromatography in the analysis of bile acids from biological samples K. D. R.