78 J. A. BADERTSCHER 



while in others they are of the polymorphic type. In studying 

 the eosinophile leucocytes with the various types of nuclei, one 

 can find sufficient evidence — as can be indicated by a series of grad- 

 ual transitions from one type of nucleus to another — to con- 

 firm the conclusion that all are derived fi^om the round nucleated 

 type of eosinophile cells. This transformation takes place by a 

 gradual change in the shape of their nuclei. They are thus geneti- 

 cally related, the round nucleated type being the forerunner of the 

 transitional and polymorphic types. 



No attempt was made to determine the chemical nature of the 

 eosinophile granules. The material was not prepared for that 

 purpose. However, the hemaglobin nature of the eosinophile 

 granules as held by Weidenreich and others, is indicated by circum- 

 stantial evidence in that the free eosinophile granules and group- 

 ings of eosinophile leucocytes are found only in connection with 

 tissue containing hemoglobin, namely, muscle tissue and erythro- 

 cytes. The hemoglobin-containing material of degenerating 

 muscle and erythrocytes apparently does not break up directly 

 into the eosinophile granules, that is, this compound is altered in 

 some way before it is taken up by the lymphocytes. This is indi- 

 cated by the fact stated above that the very coarse granules or 

 masses are stained more faintly than the smaller granules, which 

 are often stained as deeply as the eosinophile granules in the cells. 



Although the evidences are strongly in favor of a hemoglobin- 

 nature of the granules, yet when their complex chemical source 

 (erythrocytes and muscle tissue) is considered, it would not 

 be unreasonable to assume that other elements besides hemoglo- 

 bin also enter into their composition. In considering the chemical 

 nature of the granules Weidenreich ('11, p. 622) says: "Der von 

 Sherrington angeblich festgestellte Phosphorgehalt der Granula- 

 tion braucht nun keineswegs, wie dieser Autor annimmt, flir eine 

 Nucleinnatur zu sprechen ; denn wir wissen heute, dass die roten 

 Blutkorperchen auch aus dem phosphorhaltigen Lecithin aufge- 

 baut werden, so dass also unter der Voraussetzung, die Granula 

 sind Zerfallsprodukte der Erythrocyten, auch Phosphor in ihnen 

 enthalten sein konnte." If the granules do contain both phos- 

 phorous and hemoglobin then the term 'phosphorous-nature'would 



