152 EXUDATIONS. 



hyaline, very often bursts, when its torn and ragged fragments 

 may be distinguished at different points, provided the light is 

 good and the diaphragm be judiciously employed. Where the 

 nucleus was originally visible, and of a simple, lenticular form, it 

 retained this appearance after the action of these fluids ; but in those 

 cases in which it had originally been invisible, or where its appear- 

 ance could only be detected by a darker spot in the corpuscle, the 

 nucleus was generally tripartite and had a sharply denned outline. 

 One or two dark granules may often be observed in or upon the 

 nuclei, but we leave it to the physiologists to decide whether they 

 should be regarded as nucleoli. 



Concentrated mineral acids coagulate the protein-bodies, and 

 hence the distorted corpuscles cannot be distinctly recognised 

 amongst the separated granules of albumen. The organic acids 

 act in the concentrated state in much the same way as when 

 diluted, causing the variously cleft nuclei to appear perfectly 

 distinct, although their different parts cohere together. 



The caustic alkalies, if used in a moderate degree of solution, 

 exert a rapidly destructive action on the cytoid corpuscles ; perfect 

 solution never takes place, but after having continued for some 

 time visible, the corpuscles disappear on the addition of water, 

 leaving only a gelatinous-like residue, in which various lighter and 

 darker points may be recognised. Dilute alkalies destroy the 

 corpuscles even more rapidly than the concentrated solutions. 



Aqueous solutions of neutral alkaline salts cause the sharp 

 edges of the pus-corpuscles to disappear rapidly, contracting the 

 latter until they appear smaller, granular, and jagged, an effect 

 which is probably to be referred solely to endosmotic action ; the 

 fluid contents are discharged into the serum; the capsule then 

 becomes plicated, and consequently assumes a granular appearance, 

 which prevents the nucleus from being seen, although it may pre- 

 viously have been visible. 



Solutions of alkaline carbonates or borates also contract and 

 distort the corpuscles ; their prolonged action produces the same 

 results as caustic alkalies, for without having previously rendered 

 the nucleus visible, they gradually dissolve the corpuscles, leaving 

 only some few granules, which are held together by a tough hyaline 

 substance. 



If pus, in which the nuclei of the corpuscles have been rendered 

 visible by dilute acids, be treated with solutions of neutral alkaline 

 salts, the previously distended capsule contracts, and the nucleus 

 becomes invisible, whilst the whole corpuscle is much distorted. 



