SECT. 221.] WHITE BLOOD-CORPUSCLES. 5 21 



and in sucking animals, and in the goose, the occurrence of these 

 molecules appears to be constant : in pregnant females also, and 

 after the abundant use of milk or brandy, as well as in persons 

 who are fasting (in consequence of the absorbed fat of the body), 

 these fat granules appear to be very fre- 

 qnentj if not a constant constituent of the 

 blood. — The colourless cells or colourless 

 blood-corpuscles come from the chyle, and 

 may, therefore, also be called chyle or 

 bun pit-corpuscles of the blood. Some of 

 thrm have but one nucleus, and com- 

 pletely agree with the small cellular ele- 

 ments of the chyle ; others have several colourless biood-corpuseies, or 

 nuclei, and measure as much as o-oo 5 '" in £B? ! 3Efe - ftBS£i 

 average size; and in this case they gene- &^J5V£K<ft 

 rally bear such a marked resemblance to #£PK!B^SS 

 the corpuscles of pus, that it is quite im- HfJ^Sofof 'acetfc add, 5£hU£ 

 possible to distinguish the two structures ing dowu or broken down nucleus - 

 from each other. The larger corpuscles are rarely so granular as 

 the smaller, being usually pretty homogeneous, and their contents 

 are frequently so transparent that their two or three roundish small 

 nuclei can be seen without further trouble. If this is not the 

 case, acetic acid or water brings the nuclei distinctly into view by 

 rendering the contents clear ; and in this case, the contents occa- 

 sionally pass out of the bursting cells in the form of drops; at the 

 same time, especially when acetic acid is used, the nuclei often 

 break up to a further extent, and become converted into irregularly 

 notched and constricted bodies, or even become resolved into a 

 greater number, four, five, six, or more, of small granules while 

 at the same time they acquire an indistinct yellow colour, and 

 the cell-membranes gradually disappear. The other reactions of 

 these colourless blood-corpuscles are those of ordinary cells, 

 without anything characteristic. The number of the white 

 blood-corpuscles has been found by all observations hitherto made, 

 to be somewhat variable. Moleschott found the proportion of the 

 colourless to the coloured cells to average i : 335 (2 - 8 in the 1,000); 

 Mar/els gives the proportion at 1:309; Hirt finds it 1:1761, 

 during fasting, and that it varies after the taking of nourishment 

 between 1:695 and 1 =429; De Pury gives the proportion as be- 

 tween 1 : 290 and 1 :500. The number is found below the average 

 in fasting persons, non-menstruating females, and in aged indi- 

 viduals. The average number of white globules is found in the 

 blood of young men when their diet is deficient in albumen. It is 



