78 



April 17, 1856. 



The LORD WROTTESLEY, President, in the Chair. 

 The following communications were read : 



I. " On the Condition of the Oxygen absorbed into the Blood 

 during Respiration. " By GEORGE HARLEY, M.D., 

 Teacher of Practical Physiology and Histology in Uni- 

 versity College, London. Communicated by Professor 

 SHARPEY, M.D., Sec. R.S. Received March 16, 1856. 



(Abstract.) 



The author commences by explaining, that his researches were 

 instituted with the view of ascertaining whether the doctrine main- 

 tained by Magnus in regard to the gases interchanged in the lungs 

 during respiration were correct namely, that the gases in question 

 enter into no chemical combination with the constituents of the 

 blood, either in passing to or from the tissues and organs of the 

 body, but form merely a physical mixture with the circulating liquid. 

 The principal object of the inquiry was to determine the following 

 points : 



1 . Has blood the property of chemically combining with the re- 

 spired oxygen ? 



2. "Which of the constituents of the blood enter into combination 

 with oxygen ? 



3. Do these constituents, by combining with oxygen, simply 

 become oxidized, or do they also yield carbonic acid gas ? 



4. What are the agents which control these changes ? 



After describing the method of investigation, and the apparatus 

 employed, the author proceeds to relate a few of the analyses which 

 he considered as the most conclusive. Instead of confirming the 

 view of Magnus, that gases enter into no chemical combination with 



