84) ADDISOX; ON BLOOD-CORPUSCLES. 



wlien they have been altered by an alkali, and vice versa. 

 That is to saVj corpuscles Avhich have assumed the rough or 

 alkaline outline regain their natural aspect under the influ- 

 enec of the diluted hydrochloric acid, and retain it for a 

 longer or shorter space before assuming the form charac- 

 teristic of the acid influence. (Plate III, figs. 2 and 3.) We 

 have made a saline solution similar to that used for injection 

 into the blood in cholera cases, and we find it gives the 

 corpuscles a rough outline, as do other saline and alkaline 

 fluids; Ijut the altered corpuscles are very readily changed 

 back again to tlie normal form, upon the addition to them of 

 an acid. In a solution of prussiate of potass, in the propor- 

 tion of a grain of the salt to one fluid drachm of water, the 

 corpuscles undergo the same changes as they do in weak acid 

 fluids (Plate III, flg. 3) ; and they recover their-normal form 

 very readilj^ upon the application of liquor potassae. In 

 this experiment — as I have said of others — the liquor potassse 

 destroys numerous corpuscles ; but when it is diluted with the 

 required amount of liquor sanguinis, there the changes we 

 refer to take place {ante, p. 23). 



Again, when sherry wine is mingled with the liquor san- 

 guinis, the corpuscles exhibit actions of a very curious kind. 

 A molecular matter exudes from them, floating off" into the 

 liquor sanguinis ; and long tails, with a singular movement, 

 are projected from the interior of the corpuscles. In all 

 these phenomena it is the quality, and not specific gravity, 

 of the fluids which governs the eft'eet. Changes of form thus 

 wrought in blood-corpuscles by mingling extraneous matter 

 with the liquor sanguinis is additional evidence that, not- 

 withstanding their withdrawal from the body, they still pos- 

 sess special properties; and so long as the changes thus 

 produced are of the same kind with, and do not exceed those 

 Avhicli the corpuscles spontaneously exhibit, anid as long as 

 they retain the property of recovering their normal form and 

 appearance by the application of a counteracting agent, so 

 long we may presume they are not greatly injured. "When 

 viewing the circulation of blood in the frog's foot, we may 

 see many corpuscles bent, elongated, and squeezed into all 

 manner of shapes; but they regain their natural form when 

 the restraint or obstacles are overcome, and the auimal suffers 

 no detriment froui the temporary alteration in the corpus- 

 cular forms. 



Likewise, it may be argued with respect to the action of 

 sherry wine, that so long as the corpuscles retain the pro- 

 perty of projecting moveable tails, thus long they retain 

 their active qualities. That the action in this case is an 



