32 



TnE ELOOD. 



Lciicin and Ti/rosi/i, which exist in ahnost all secretions and excre- 

 tions, probably are present in minute quantity in the blood ; but as yet 

 they have only been detected in it in disease of the liver. 



JSi'f/ar has been found in the blood of dogs, oxen, and cats, also in 

 that of diseased and liealtliy persons. The quantity is very small. The 

 form of sugar is that known as glucose or grape sugar. 



Colouring and Odoriferous Matters. — The yellowish colour and peculiar 

 faint odour which serum possesses are probably dependent upon the 

 presence of certain definite principles. No one has, however, as yet 

 succeeded in isolating them. The odour of the blood is said to be of 

 peculiar character in each species of animal, and to be heightened by 

 the addition of sulphuric acid. Schmidt found, however, that the blood 

 of only three animals yielded an odour distinctive of the species. 



Salts. — 1. Having soda and potash as bases, combined with lactic, 

 carbonic, phosphoric, sulphuric, and fatty acids. Also chlorides of 

 sodium and potassium, the former in large proportion. Schmidt has 

 pointed out that the potash-salts exist almost exclusively in the blood- 

 corpuscles and the soda salts principally in the serum. In the cor- 

 puscles there are principally chloride of potassium and phosphate of 

 potash : in the serum, chloride of sodium and phosphate of soda. The 

 following table (giving the mean of eight experiments) exhibits the 

 relative quantities of potassium and sodium, and of phosphoric acid and 

 chlorine, in the blood-corpuscles and plasma. 



100 parts of Inorganic Matters. 



Blood- Coi-jJUftcIcs: 



Na. 



40'89 



9-71 



Plasma. 



I 



K. I Xa. 



•10 



•71 



Blood- Corjmsclrt!. 



PO.. 



17-64 



CI. 



Plasma. 



PO, 



21-00 



c-os 



CI. 



40-GS 



The table shows that the chlorides are, relatively to the phosphates, in much 

 larger quantity in the plasma than in the blood-coi-puscles ; and that the phos- 

 lihates are, relatively to the chlorides, in much larger proportion in the blood- 

 corpuscles than in the plasma. 



2. Lactate of ammonia. 3. Salts with earthy bases, viz., lime and 

 magnesia, with phosphoric, carbonic, and sulphuric acids. 



The earthy salts are for the most part associated with the albumin, but partly 

 ■vdth the crassamentum. As they are obtained by calcination, it has been sus- 

 pected that the phosphoric and sulphuric acids may be in part formed by oxida- 

 tion of the phosphorus and sulphur of the organic compounds. Nasse found in 

 1000 parts of blood 4 to 7 of alkaline, and 0-53 of earthy salts. 



The ashes of blood yield, according to Jarisch, 8'34 per cent, of oxide of ii-on, 

 or about -0948 parts in 100 of blood. 



Mean Composition of Blood. — The following approximative state- 

 ment of the mean com].)osition of venous blood (horse) is furnished by 

 Hoppe-Seyler : — 



In 1000 parts- of blood— 



Coi-i>uscles 326-2 



Plasma ........ 670-8 



