62 TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD. 



no abnormal condition occurs, because the blood-pressure is not permanently 

 raised. The excess of blood is accommodated in the greatly distended capillaries, 

 which may be stretched beyond their normal elasticity (Worm Miiller). If it be 

 increased to 150 per cent, there are variations in the blood-pressure, life is 

 endangered, and there may be sudden rupture of blood-vessels (Worm Miiller). 



Fate of Transfused Blood. After the transfusion of blood the formation of 

 lymph is greatly increased ; but in one to two days the serum is used up, the 

 water is excreted chiefly by the urine, and the albumin is partly changed into 

 urea (Landois). Hence, the blood at this time appears to be relatively richer in 

 blood-corpuscles (Panum, Lesser, Worm Miiller). The red corpuscles break up 

 much more slowly, and the products thereof are partly excreted as urea and partly 

 (but not constantly) as bile pigments. Even after a month an increase of 

 coloured blood-corpuscles has been observed (Tschirjew). That the blood-cor- 

 puscles are broken up sloiuly in the economy is proved by the fact that the amount 

 of urea is much larger when the same quantity of blood is swallowed by the 

 animal, than when an equal amount is transfused (Tschirjew, Landois). In the 

 latter case there is a moderate increase of the urea lasting for days, a proof of 

 the slow decomposition of the red corpuscles. Pronounced over-filling of the 

 vessels causes loss of appetite, and a tendency to haemorrhage of the mucous 

 membranes. 



(-) PolySBlnia serosais that condition in which the amount of serum i.e., 

 the amount of water in the blood, is increased. This may be produced artificially 

 by the transfusion of blood-serum from the same species. The water is soon given 

 off in the urine, and the albumin is decomposed into urea, without however, pass- 

 ing into the urine. An animal forms more urea in a short time from a quantity of 

 transfused serum than from the same quantity of blood, a proof that the blood- 

 corpuscles remain longer undecomposed than the serum (Forster, Landois). If 

 serum from another species of animal be used (e.g., dog's serum transfused into a 

 rabbit), the blood-corpuscles of the recipient are dissolved ; hremoglobinuria is 

 produced (Ponfick) ; and if there be general dissolution of the corpuscles, death 

 may occur (Landois). 



PolySBmia aqUOSa is a simple increase of the water of the blood, and occurs 

 temporarily after copious drinking, but increased diuresis soon restores the normal 

 condition. Diseases of the kidneys, which destroy their secreting parenchyma, 

 produce this condition, and often general dropsy, owing to the passage of water 

 into the tissues. Ligature of the ureter produces a watery condition of the 

 blood. 



(3.) Plethora poiycythaemica, Hypergloblllie. An increase of the red cor- 

 puscles has been assumed to occur when customary regular haemorrhages are inter- 

 rupted e.g. , menstruation, bleeding from the nose, &c. ; but the increase of corpuscles 

 has not been definitely proved. There is a proved case of temporary polycytha;mia 

 viz., when similar blood is transfused, a part of the fluid is used up, while the 

 corpuscles remain unchanged for a considerable time. There is a remarkable increase 

 in the number of blood-corpuscles (to S'82 millions per cubic millimetre, p. 4) in 

 certain severe cardiac affections where there is great congestion, and much water 

 transudes through the vessels. In cases of hemiplegia, for the same reason, the 

 number of corpuscles is greater on the paralysed congested side (Penzoldt). After 

 diarrhoea, which diminishes the water of the blood, there is also an increase 

 (Brouardel). There is a temporary increase in the luzmatoblasts as a reparative 

 process after severe haemorrhage (p. 15), or after acute diseases. In cachectic 

 conditions this increase continues, owing to the diminished non-conversion of these 

 corpuscles into red corpuscles. In the last stages of cachexia the number 

 diminishes more and more until the formation of hwmatoblasts ceases (Hayem). 



(4.) Plethora hyperalbuminosa is a term applied to the increase of albumins in 

 the plasma, such as occurs after taking a large amount of food. A similar con- 



