80 Chapter IV 



of such blood or corpuscles sets up an aseptic inflammation which 

 attracts a large number of free phagocytes to the seat of injection. 

 In subcutaneous, peritoneal or intraocular exudations produced 

 under these conditions, we find, in addition to a number of micro- 

 phages, many macrophages. Whilst the former ingest the injected 

 red corpuscles merely in isolated cases, the positive chemiotaxis 

 of the macrophages manifests itself much more actively. In the 

 resorption of the red blood corpuscles the more important part is 

 played by the macrophage. To get a clear idea of the phenomena 

 [86] that accompany this resorption, let us take a concrete example. 

 Inject defibrinated goose's blood into the peritoneal cavity of guinea- 

 pigs 1 . During the first few hours after injection the oval nucleated 

 red corpuscles are found intact in the fluid of the peritoneal lymph. 

 The plasma, by itself, exercises no destructive or solvent action on 

 the red corpuscles of the goose. 



Immediately after the injection the lymph of the peritoneal cavity 

 begins to show important changes. The white corpuscles which, in 

 the normal condition, are fairly abundant, disappear almost com- 

 pletely ; some small lymphocytes presenting their ordinary aspect may 

 indeed be found, but the few macrophages and the microphages 

 that remain show signs of very grave lesions. They lose their 

 mobility, run together into clumps and become incapable of ingesting 

 foreign bodies. At this moment the phagocytes undergo a critical 

 change which we have designated by the name of phagolysis. This 

 condition lasts for about an hour, sometimes it continues longer, 

 according to case and circumstance, but after this the peritoneal 

 fluid becomes filled with leucocytes that have newly come on to the 

 scene. These cells make their way, by diapedesis, through the 

 walls of the congested vessels of the peritoneum. A true aseptic 

 inflammation is produced which induces an exudation of a large 

 number of white corpuscles, amongst which are found microphages 

 and still more numerous macrophages. The latter show a very 

 pronounced positive chemiotaxis towards the injected red corpuscles 

 of the goose. Soon after their appearance, that is to say two or three 

 hours after the injection of the blood, the macrophages send out very 

 small protoplasmic processes and affix them to the surface of the red 

 corpuscles. There follows an aggregation of the macrophages of the 

 guinea-pig with the red corpuscles of the goose and characteristic 

 masses, in which can be recognised both kinds of cells, are produced, 

 1 Ann. de FInst. Pasteur, Paris, 1899, t xm, p. 742. 



