10 W. BLAXLAND BENHAM. 
may be suggested that these are the original globules, but such 
is not the case ; they are very much smaller, and vary more in 
size. Further, only a few such separations occurred, even 
after prolonged action of the salt solution. 
When water is added to freshly drawn blood the same 
series of reactions occur (fig. 14). The colour of the corpuscles 
is quickly changed by the water, the masses becoming colour- 
less. I also “ bled” worms into a few drops of water in a 
tube, in the hope of obtaining a solution of colouring matter. 
The reaction of the corpuscles or globules to water indicates 
that these coloured globules are not provided with any mem- 
brane or envelope. They appear to be droplets of coloured 
material, and their general appearance suggested some oily 
substance. 
Chloroform.—Employing freshly shed blood on a dry 
slide, and running in chloroform as soon as possible, I observed 
the gradual disappearance of the corpuscles. Each corpuscle 
as the chloroform reached it first lost its colour, then rapidly 
became smaller and smaller, till nothing was left but a few 
very minute granules. Amongst these a number of small 
ovoid, highly refringent bodies, being a faint olive-green in 
tint, make their appearance. 
Here, too, I have no doubt as to the fact that the corpuscles 
are dissolved : there is no mere “ diminution in size,’ such as 
is observable in the case of mammalian corpuscles treated 
with chloroform ; there is an absolute disappearance of the 
globules of Magelona, the only trace of them that remains 
being a few granules. 
Ether produced effects similar to those produced by chloro- 
form. Both these reactions seem to point to fat or oil of some 
kind. 
Absolute alcohol gave the same reaction. I added nitric 
acid (10 per cent.) to the small olive-green refringent bodies, 
and found that they are insoluble in the acid. But both these 
and the smaller granules were dissolved in strong nitric acid. 
Alcohol (70 per cent.) had similar action. 
In all the above cases the colour of the corpuscle disappeared. 
