STRUCTURAL RELATIONS OF RED BLOOD-CORPUSCLES. 377 



On the Minute Structural Relations of the Red Blood- 

 coRPUSCLEs. Bj Professor Arthur Boettcher, in Dorpat 

 (with Plate XXIII). 



Translated from a paper in ' Archiv. fiir Microscopische Anatomic,' Bd. 14. 



Elsewhere I have communicated the fact that a nucleus 

 can be demonstrated in the red blood-corpuscles of mammalia, 

 by treating them with alcohol and acetic acid {Blemoires de 

 V Academie Imperiale des Sciences de §i. Peter shourg, vii serie, 

 t. 23, No, 11). On pursuing these investigations I came upon 

 a method which affords a very clear insight into their structure. 

 I have also sent a short report of this to the above-mentioned 

 Academy (Bulletin of January 11th, 1877). In the treat- 

 ment with acetic acid a distension of the blood-corpuscles easily 

 occurs, which may spoil what was already gained by the hardening 

 in alcohol. This inconvenience I have now managed to avoid, 

 and I propose to give here an accurate description of the results 

 obtained in regard to the structure of the red blood-corpuscles 

 by means of this new method. 



Pifty parts by volume of alcohol of 96 per cent., which is 

 saturated with corrosive sublimate, are poured on to one part of 

 blood, care being taken that a rapid diffusion of the blood-cor- 

 puscles in the fluid takes place. Por this purpose I have used 

 blood defibrinated and deprived as much as possible of serum, 

 and also (in experiments on animals) blood taken directly from a 

 vein. 



As soon as the blood-corpuscles enter the alcoholic solution of 

 corrosive sublimate it is found that thet/ are deprived of their 

 colouring matter {hamatin) without the albumino^ls body, ivhich 

 is combined with it, becoming dissolved. The blood-corpuscles 

 therefore remain intact, and are merely deprived of the red 

 colouring matter, which hinders the observation of their structure. 

 The former was the case indeed on treatment with absolute 

 alcohol, but the subsequent decoloration with acetic acid was 

 then always necessary, which exerts the disturbing action already 

 mentioned. By the addition of corrosive sublimate to the alcohol 

 we ensure that both actions take place simultaneously : the 

 blood-corpuscles are preserved, and become at the same time 

 completely colourless. 



By repeated agitation the action of the alcoholic solution of 

 corrosive sublimate on the red blood-corpuscles can be advan- 

 tageously assisted. If the latter are then allowed to subside, 

 the sediment is no longer red, but more or less pale, and the 

 column of perfectly clear fluid above it appears of a dark reddish- 

 brown colour. Complete decoloration of the red blood -corpuscles 



