64 
The Nerves of Capillary Vessels and tlieir 
which enters into the composition of the white-blood corpuscle. 
Moreover, the small particles detached from the white-blood cor- 
puscles make their way through, and divide, and subdivide, and give 
rise in a short time to multitudes of minute bioplasts which can 
only be distinguished by the aid of very high magnifying powers. 
This was referred to in a paper which was presented to the Micro- 
scopical Society in 1863, and published in the ‘ Transactions.’ No 
doubt then, in many cases where the capillary vessels are distended, 
living particles of bioplasm pass through. These being surrounded 
with nutrient matter, grow, and divide and subdivide very freely. 
In this way are produced the multitudes of bioplasts commonly 
found immediately surrounding the capillary vessels in the earlier 
periods of inflammation of complex textures. Wherever fluid in 
which are suspended living particles stagnates, the conditions are 
favourable for the absorption by the living bioplasts of an increased 
quantity of nutrient material. Not only may this increased ab- 
sorption of nutrient material occur outside capillary vessels, but it 
may proceed in the substance of a clot. The white-blood corpuscles 
entangled in the clot have been known to multiply to such an ex- 
tent as to give rise to the formation of multitudes of bioplasts which 
resemble a drop of pus. Pus has been formed in a clot of fibrine. 
It is possible that pus may be formed in the same way in a clot of 
blood. 
In this way I would venture to explain also the changes which 
ensue in the serous or fibrinous exudation which occurs in the inflam- 
mation of certain special tissues. As is well known, serous membranes 
are subject to what is known as adhesive inflammation, which is sup- 
posed to be distinct from the suppurative. But pus may be formed 
upon the surface of a serous membrane. When we consider the struc- 
ture of the serous membrane, and bear in mind how exceedingly thin 
it is, and how close the vessels are to its free surface, it is easy to con- 
ceive that minute particles of bioplasm would pass through, collect 
upon the free surface, grow and multiply, and give rise to the enormous 
quantity of fibrinous material frequently seen, for example, upon 
the surface of the pleura and pericardium in inflammation. In this 
way is the “ recent lymph ” probably produced. And we know 
that pus may be formed if the process goes on. As nutrition in- 
creases, the little bioplasts multiply exceedingly; the “lymph” is 
found to consist almost entirely of bioplasts, which take up the 
fibrinous matter, and at last “ pus,” which, as I have shown, con- 
sists of multitudes of rapidly-growing living bioplasts, results. 
It is not possible that such changes as those described could 
take place just outside capillary vessels without seriously implicating 
the nerves themselves, leading thereby to disturbance of the nerve 
centres, and by reflex action to the extensive and widely-distributed 
nervous derangement which usually accompanies severe inflam- 
