Red Corpuscles of the Blood. 29 



The experiments I am about to detail are, however, I believe, 

 sufficient to prove that the two causes referred to bear the 

 closest relation to each other; for the action of oxygen will 

 be shown to be the more" remote cause of the phenomenon, 

 while the immediate cause for the production of the bright 

 arterial colour consists in the action of a neutral salt, formed 

 by the contact of oxygen during the process of respiration. 



When experimenting on venous blood some few months 

 ago, I was struck with a peculiar garlic odour evolved by 

 the corpuscles when they were burst by the sudden addition 

 of water. Reasoning on this fact, and being aware of the 

 existence of phosphorized fat .is a constituent of the blood, I 

 resolved if possible to ascertain at some future period the more 

 exact conditions of its presence, and the relation it might bear 

 to the function of respiration. It was not difficult to imagine 

 that the exposure of venous blood to the action of the atmo- 

 sphere at a temperature of 98°, and, as occurs during respira- 

 tion, over an enormously diffuse surface, would completely 

 effect the combustion of any phosphorus it might contain ; 

 and, moreover, that this elementary body, if existing dissolved 

 in fatty matters, would consume together with its solvent, and 

 thus afford as the result of combustion three compounds, 

 known both in the characters of excretions and constituents of 

 animal bodies, viz. carbonic acid, water, and phosphoric acid. 



Knowing that carbonic acid and water were excreted by the 

 lungs, and also that it was now very generally admitted that 

 more oxygen was absorbed during respiration than could be 

 accounted for by the carbonic acid expired, I was greatly en- 

 couraged to prosecute, my inquiries, and put the theory to the 

 test. 



Now if it were true that during respiration phosphorized 

 fats are consumed in the venous blood-globules, the phos- 

 phoric acid formed by the contact of oxygen must unite with 

 the blood, for none of this acid is expired ; and as the globules 

 or corpuscles float in an alkaline liquor, this result ought to 

 be brought about with the formation of an alkaline phosphate 

 in the liquor sanguinis of arterial blood. 



Thus, while the venous blood-globules should contain the 

 phosphorized fats in quantity, the serum ofvenous blood should 

 contain far less alkaline phosphate than that from the blood 

 of the arteries. 



The type of the venous blood would then be — 



1. A globule containing phosphorized fat. 



2. A liquor sanguinis deficient in alkaline phosphate. 

 The type of the arterial blood would be — 



1. A globule containing no phosphorized fat. 



