PnvsicAL Chkmistky and N'kticuinaky Sciknck. 



177 



table 



The influence of the red hlooii cor[)uscles is shown hy the f(>llu\\■in^ 



SUSHKXSIOK OF KltVTHKOCV'lIvS I\ SlCRUM (HoRSE). 



As the internal fricti(ni of the blood is principall}^ dependent upon 

 the quantity of its cells, blood exaiiiinations with the \iscosinieter * in 

 pathological cases qviickly gives rough, but reliable, information as to 

 the ziumber of erythrocytes iind the eventual presence and degree of 

 ansemia, for instance : — 



(1) In all cases of piroplasmosis in equines, a disease which affects 

 the red blood corpuscles, with the ad\ance of their destruction I found 

 a continual deci'ease of the viscosity of the blood and serum. 



(2) Hjemolysis (breaking down of erythrocytes) caused by injection 

 of ha?moIytic (blood dissolving) serum emphasises itself by a subnormal 

 value of the internal friction of the blood. 



(3) In cases of artificial an;^mia in horses, caused by extensive 

 bleedings, a very low internal friction of the blood plasma and serum 

 was obserN'ed. 



An accumulation of carbonic acid in the blood gives rise to an 

 increase of the internal friction. In the organism alterations of the 

 respiratorv metabolism are subsequent to heart or lung affections. In 

 horse-sickness these organs are prominentl}' affected, and there the 

 relative increase of the viscosity of the blood gives an idea of the 

 degree of the disease and prognostical indications. 



Eviilently the velocity of the blood circulation and the work done 

 by the heai-t are largely dependent on the internal friction of the blood. 

 These three factors are in correlation with each other (Hess). Heart- 

 weakness produces, by accumulation of CO.,, an increase of blood 

 viscosity, and this again increases the work of the heart, because 

 this latter is a minimum at a certain optimal concentration of the 



* The ueNV viscosimeter (Hess) permits of a blood examination heing made 

 in two minutes, and is of course very useful for clinical purposes, none the less^ 

 on account of its Iiandv form. 



