268 OF THE BLOOD: 



ing current (as happens in various forms of Alburainuria, but especially in 

 the advanced stage of " Bright's disease"), the amount of albumen in the 

 serum is reduced below the normal standard. Thus Dr. Christison found 

 the entire solids of the serum to be reduced in some instances to 55 or even 

 52 parts in 1000, his estimate of their normal amount being 83.4; and he 

 found the specific gravity of the serum to fall as low as 1020 or even 1019, 

 the normal standard being from 1027 to 1031. According to Andral, the 

 diminution in the amount of Albumen in the Serum is exactly proportional 

 to the quantity contained in the Urine. 1 The proportion of albumen is not 

 diminished in scurvy (Chalvet). The proportion of fatty matter in the 

 serum, and especially of the cholesteriu, has been found by MM. Becquerel 

 and Rodier to undergo an increase at the commencement of most acute dis- 

 eases ; and they have also observed an increase of fat, and especially of 

 cholesterin, in chronic diseases of the liver, in Bright's disease of the kid- 

 ney, and in tuberculosis. The quantity of fat in the blood sometimes under- 

 goes such an augmentation, as to give to the serum a constant "milkiness." 

 This has been observed by Marcet in a case of diabetes, by Traill in hepa- 

 titis, by Christison in dropsy, icterus, and nephritis, by Zanarelli in pneu- 

 monia, and by Sion in mammary abscess. In Dr. Siou's case, the blood 

 itself was quite milky; it underwent no coagulation; and only a very small 

 quantity of coloring matter was deposited, when it was allowed to stand. 

 This blood was found by Lecanu to contain 206 parts of solid constituents 

 in 1000; but of these no less than 117 parts were fat, the remainder con- 

 sisting of albumen (64 parts), and of extractives and salines (25 parts). 2 

 No fibrin could be found, and the quantity of haemoglobin was inappre- 

 ciable. 3 Such a fluid must be considered rather as chyle than as blood ; 

 and in the entire absence of coagulating power, corresponds rather with 

 chyle when first absorbed, than with that which is usually transmitted by 

 the thoracic duct ( 154). Little is known with certainty regarding the 

 variations of the alkaline salts in the blood in different diseases. The anal- 

 yses which have been made, however, are considered by Prof. Lehmaun 4 to 



1 A case is related by Andral, under this head, which affords an interesting ex- 

 emplification of the general facts that have been attained by his investigations. A 

 woman who had been suffering from Erysipelas of the face, and had lost blood both 

 by venesection and by leeches, became the subject of Albuminuria. The blood 

 drawn at this time exhibited a considerable diminution in the proportion of the red 

 Corpuscles, as well as of Albumen, a fact which the previous loss of blood fully ac- 

 counted for. After a short period, during which she had been allowed a fuller diet, 

 another experimental bleeding exhibited an increase in the proportion of those Cor- 

 puscles. Some time afterwards, when the Albumen had disappeared from the Urine, 

 some more blood was drawn; and it was then observed that the Albumen of the .Se- 

 rum had returned to its due proportion, but that the Corpuscles had again dimin- 

 ished, whilst there was a marked increase in the quantity of Fibrin. This alteration 

 was fully accounted for by the fact, that in the interval, several lymphatic ganglia 

 in the neck had been inflamed and had suppurated ; and that the patient had been 

 again placed on very low diet. "Thus," observes Andral, "we were enabled to give 

 a complete explanation of the remarkable oscillations which were presented in the 

 proportion of the different elements of the blood, drawn at three different times from 

 the same individual; and thus it is that, the more extended are our inquiries, the 

 more easy does it become to refer to general principles the causes of all those changes 

 in the composition of the blood, which, from the frequency and rapidity with which 

 they occur, seem at first sight to baftlc all rules, and t< take place, as it were, at ran- 

 dom. In the midst of this apparent disorder, there is but the fulfilment of laws; 

 and, in order to obtain these, it is only necessary to strip the phenomena of their 

 complications, and reduce them to their simplest form." 



- See also a case by Speck, Archiv f. wiss. Heilk., 1864, p. 232. 



3 This remarkable case is cited in Simon's Animal Chemistry, vol. i, p. 333, from 

 the Lancette Francai.se, 18o-">, No. 49. 



4 Physiological Chemistry (Cavendish Society's ed.), vol. ii, p. 262. 



