H/EMAT1N. 305 



Physiological Relations. 



Occurrence. Haematin has hitherto only been found in the 

 blood-corpuscles of the higher animals. Intimately united with 

 globulin, it forms the viscid, fluid contents of the coloured blood- 

 cells. 



Berzelius found 0*3 8$ of metallic iron in the dried blood-corpus- 

 cles of man or the ox; now as Mulder has found 6*64 of iron in 

 hoematin, a simple calculation shows thatin the blood-corpuscles there 

 are contained 5'/2f of hsematin, independently of fat, globulin, salts, 

 and biliary matter : hence, in fresh blood in which the red blood- 

 corpuscles on an average =12-8$, there would be contained 0'732-J- 

 of hcematin. If we calculate from Becquerel's results, according 

 to which 1000 parts of blood contain 0'565 parts of iron and 141-1 

 of blood-corpuscles, we obtain a very similar result, namely, that 

 100 parts of blood-corpuscles contain 6'02 of hsematin. It is 

 obvious that such calculations can only lead to approximate 

 results ; attempts have certainly been made to effect a direct deter- 

 mination of the amount of hsematin in the blood ; but the method 

 of separating it is as yet too uncertain to admit of our placing much 

 reliance on the numbers which have been obtained. The amount 

 found in the blood by Lecanu, namely 0'227f, was obviously too 

 small, while Simon's number, 0'7l8f, approximates closely to the 

 calculated quantity. 



By treating defibrinated calves' blood with chloride of sodium, 

 Schmidt obtained the corpuscles in a state of purity; and after 

 incineration, found in them 1'1/9-g- of peroxide of iron, hence, 

 (according to Mulder's analysis of hsematin,) they would contain 

 12'41-J of this ingredient; in repeating Schmidt's experiment with 

 ox-blood I obtained 9*076 and 10'94& of peroxide of iron results 

 which corresponded tolerably well with that which he found. The 

 great difference which presents itself between these results of direct 

 experiment,, and the results of pre-indicated calculations, admits of 

 an easy explanation ; in the latter case, the blood-corpuscles are 

 calculated more or less in accordance with their true constitution 

 in the blood, while in our experiments, the process by which we 

 purify the blood-corpuscles their treatment with a solution of 

 chloride of sodium or sulphate of soda abstracts from them a 

 portion of their globulin, and all the soluble salts ; when treated 

 with saline solutions, the corpuscles lose, in accordance with the laws 

 of endosrnosis, not only water, but also a part of their soluble 

 globulin ; while the treatment of the coagulated corpuscles with 



