154 HANDBOOK OF PHYSIOLOGY. 



g. The yellow pigment of the serum and the odorous matter which 

 gives the blood of each particular animal a peculiar smell, have not yet 

 been exactly differentiated. The former is probably of the nature of a 

 lipochrome, and might be called serum lutein. It is soluble in alcohol 

 and ether, and has two hazy absorption bands toward the violet end of 

 the spectrum. 



(3.) The Corpuscles. a. Colored. Analysis of a thousand parts 

 of moist blood corpuscles shows the following result: 



Water 688 



Solids 



Organic .... 303. 88 



Mineral 8.12-312-1000 



Of the solids the most important is HcmnogloUn, the substance to 

 which the blood owes its color. It constitutes, as will be seen from the 

 appended Table, more than 90 per cent of the organic matter of the 

 corpuscles. Besides hemoglobin there are proteid and fatty matters, 

 the former chiefly consisting of globulins, and the latter of cholesterin 

 and lecithin. 



In 1000 parts organic matter are found: 



Haemoglobin 905.4 



Proteids 86.7 



Fats 7.9-1000 



Of the inorganic salts of the corpuscles, with the iron omitted 

 In 1000 parts corpuscles (Schmidt) are found : 



Potassium Chloride 3.679 



Potassium Phosphate 2.343 



Potassium sulphate 132 



Sodium .633 



Calcium 094 



Magnesium .060 



Soda 341-7.282 



The properties of haemoglobin will be considered in relation to the 

 Gases of the blood. 



b. Colorless. In consequence of the difficulty of obtaining color- 

 less corpuscles in sufficient number to make an analysis, little is ac- 

 curately known of their chemical composition; in all probability, 

 however, the protoplasm of the corpuscles is made up of proteid mat- 

 ter, and the nucleus of nuclein, a nitrogenous phosphorus-containing 

 body akin to mucin, capable of resisting the action of the gastric juice. 

 The proteid matter is made up probably of one or more nucleo-albumius, 

 and of one or more globulins with a small amount of serum albumin. 

 There are also present lecithin, a fatty body containing phosphorus, 

 fatty granules staining black with osmic acid, cholesterin, a monatomic 

 alcohol, glycogen, and salts of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magne- 

 sium, of which the phosphate of potassium is in greatest amount. 



(4.) Fibrin. The part played by fibrin in the formation of a clot 

 and its tests have been already described, and it is only necessary to 



