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IV. — Ohservations and Experiments with the Microscope, on the 

 Chemical Effects of Chloral Hych-ate, Chloroform, Prussic 

 Acid, and other Agents, on the Blood. By Thomas Shearman 

 Kalph, M.K.C.S., Eng. 



On a former occasion, now five years ago, I had the honour of 

 reading before the Medical Society of Victoria a paper entitled 

 " Observations and Experiments with the Microscope, on the effects 

 of Prussic Acid on the Animal Economy," in which I pointed out 

 the specific or chemical action of that agent on the blood, viz. that 

 the iron was laid hold of by the cyanogen, and the result was the 

 formation of prussian blue, or some cyanic compound of iron. 

 Accompanying this remarkable change was another, which I also 

 pointed out, that certain oval bodies, closely resembhng starch 

 grains, were formed. These bodies turning blue under the action 

 of iodine, and polarizing, were seen to form in the field of the 

 microscope. 



After my communication on the effects of prussic acid, I inves- 

 tigated the action of another chemical agent, which exhibits decided 

 eff'ects on the corpuscles of the blood when applied to them out of 

 the body; namely, ammonio-sulphate of copper. When blood is 

 allowed to flow into a solution of this compound, it is found that 

 the contained matter of the red corpuscles cannot pass out ; for 

 when blood is drawn and placed in a thin film on glass, and exa- 

 mined under the microscope, it is found that the major part of the 

 corpuscles gives up the contained matter, and the empty cell walls 

 or coverings remain behind. This is well seen on applying a solu- 

 tion of magenta to blood under the microscope ; the field becomes 

 occupied by a vast amount of granular matter, coloured red by the 

 dye ; while the cell walls or envelopes lie in abundance uncoloured, 

 or at the most presenting to the eye of the observer the red molecule 

 first pointed out by Dr. William Roberts, of Manchester, in 1863, 

 and also brought further into notice by Professor Halford, in 1864, 

 before the Australian Society.* My experiments with this agent, 

 ammonio-sulphate of copper, go to show that while the corpuscles 

 are so acted on that they cannot pass out their contents, yet when 

 magenta is applied, this dye can pass in and colour them ; and this 

 coloration shows by its tint the degree of emptiness or fulness of 

 each corpuscle, proving that at the moment when the cupreous 

 solution was added to the fresh-flowing blood, the corpuscles were in 

 different conditions, some perfectly full, while others were partially 

 empty. By means of water the cupreous compound can be washed 

 away, and then these same corpuscles are able to part with their 

 contents, as they do under ordinary cu'cumstances.t 



* 'Australian Medical Journal,' vol. ix., 1864. f I'^-i v<^l- ^i-' l^*^^- 



VOL. VI. G 



