39 



haviour of the lympljocytes and especially the red blood-corpuscles, 

 may, as slated above, be ascribed to other surface properties of 

 these cells. 



In conclusion we maij state, tlierefore, that through Injection 0/ 

 any fluid whatever, an increased prolonged acidity can be demonstrated 

 at the place of injection, ivhich may reasonably be assumed to give 

 a. certain direction to the ameboid movements of the leukocytes, which 

 reveals itsetf in the constant occurrence of the emigration of the 

 polynuclear leukocytes. 

 ,\ may still add (hat in no case does the increased acidity exist 

 longer than 18 hours, aflei- the injection of aqueous fluids, but that 

 it persists longer after oil injections; this is the reason why with oil 

 the emigration lasts longer, as is borne out by all phenomena, i.a. 

 the changes in the blood-formula, which cannot be gone into any 

 further here. Neither can I expatiate here on the cause to which 

 the increased acid formation itself is due. I can state only that there 

 is no excessive accumulation of carbonic acid. The only factor we 

 can take into consideration is a diminution of the normal reserve 

 of alkali under the influence of the formation of acids other than 

 carbonic acid. 



Now it is of vital impoitance to know whether our conclusions 

 regarding the emigration of leukocytes in sterile abscesses and 

 exudations, also apply in general to every migration of leukocytes 

 through the body, e.g. to the emigration of leukocytes in exudations 

 of bacterial origin and to the emigration (normal and pathological) 

 of the white bloodcorpuscles from the bone-marrow in the blood- 

 circulation. Concerning the latter we are inclined to believe that 

 normal supply of the polynuclear cells in the blood from the bone- 

 marrow is also procured under the influence of a potential difference 

 befweèn bone-marrow and blood. It may also be possible that, when 

 that supply from the bone-marrow proceeds abnormally, as in cases 

 of leuktemm, the relation between the pH in the blood and the 

 bone-marrow is altered. It also avails to know the reason why, in 

 the case of fatal infections, the bone-marrow does not react on the 

 stimulus of inflammation, why no leukocytes are transmitted to the 

 nidus of tiie inflammation. 



It may be also that without a potential difference between bone- 

 raarrow and blood or between blood and the nidus of inflammation, 

 the emigration of leukocytes is impossible. It should at the same 

 time be noted, whether the distribution of lecithin and cho'l'esterol 

 in the body may haye influence on the generation of electric currents; 



