( 148 ) 



the table, that on the other hand, there are a great number of phago- 

 cytes which can stand a dilution of their serum with 100 °/ of water. 

 Former experiments have proved that this dilution causes an increase 

 in the bulk of the cells, of considerably over 30 Yo- 1 ) 



We will now pass on to the following question : Is tliis decrease 

 in the phagocytosis of a permanent nature? 



In order to find an answer, we brought the white corpuscles 

 which had been submitted to the action of diluted serum back into 

 the normal, undiluted serum, and then tested again their power 

 of taking up coal. 



TABLE II. 



After exposure to the action of diluted serum, the phagocytes 

 are brought back into normal serum. 



This table shows that phagocytes, which had some time remained 

 in serum, diluted with 20 % or 50 % water, dilutions which as 

 the former series of experiments indicates, caused a reduction of the 

 phagocytarian capacity of 13.5 % an d 43.2 % respectively, after 

 having been brought back into normal serum, entirely recovered their 

 original phagocytarian power. 



The addition to the serum of J 00 % water, has on part of the 

 phagocytes a lasting deleterious effect; the addition of 200% water is 

 even more detrimental. Still, itis interesting to observe that, although in 

 serum which had been diluted with 200 % water, all the phagocytes 



>) Hamburger. Archiv. f. (Anat. u.^ Physiol. 1898. S. 317. 



