PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 81 
On certain Pathological Characters of the Blood-corpuscles. 
By Mr. J. B. Hennessy. 
He stated the results of his microscopical observations on, 
first, healthy blood, and on, secondly, inflamed blood. The 
result to which he directed particular attention was, that in 
infiamed blood the corpuscles were smaller and darker than 
in healthy blood. In corroboration of his views, he quoted 
the remarks of M. Donne, of Mr. Wharton Jones, Mr. 
Gulliver, and many others, upon this change of size. Mr. 
Hennessy founded a theory of inflammation through increase 
of temperature, the occurrence of the buffy coat and the 
other phenomena being satisfactorily explained. 
On the importance of introducing a New and Uniform Standard 
of Micrometric Measurement. By Professor Lyons. 
He alluded to the great difficulties experienced by observers 
in enumerating, rendering, and even remembering the various 
kinds of measures now in use in these countries and on the 
Continent, portions of the English, Irish, and French inch 
and line, and decimal parts of the French millimetre. The 
high figure in the denominator and the number of decimal 
plans were exceedingly cumbrous. He (Dr. Lyons) would 
propose that some definite micrometric integer should be 
assumed, being a determinate part of unity. He proposed 
that this measure should be denominated a microline. He 
did not mean definitely to bind himself to the adoption of 
any standard, but would propose provisionally that the one 
ten-thousandth part of the English inch should be assumed 
and denominated the standard microline pro tem. He would, 
however, have his hearers bear in mind the present tendency 
of scientific men towards a decimal system. For his own 
part he would prefer the French decimal scale. 
Observations on the Flow of the Lacteal Fluid in the Me- 
sentery of the Mouse. By Josrry Lister, Esq., F.R.C.S. 
Eng. and Edin., Assistant-Surgeon to the Royal Infirmary 
of Edinburgh. 
Tuer experiments of which a short account will be given in 
the present communication, were performed in the summer 
of 1853, but have not been hitherto published. The objects 
for which they were undertaken were, in the first place, to 
observe the character of the flow of the chyle through the 
lacteals, a thing which, as far as I know, had never been 
satisfactorily done; and in the second place, to throw some 
light if possible upon the debated question whether or not the 
