480 [March 12, 



formation, or at least the rejuvenescence, of the blood-corpuscles. 

 Dr. Carpenter conceives that the appearance of the colourless cor- 

 puscles of the blood may be regarded as a phenomenon analogous to 

 the development of cells in the albumen of seeds in the vegetable 

 kingdom. He also supposes that these cells aid in the conversion 

 of crude alimentary matters into proximate principles. Additional 

 support is given to each supposition by the notion that these colour- 

 less cells stand in close relationship to the material formed in the liver, 

 so closely resembling dextrine of vegetable origin. 



It is true that there is nothing novel in the view that the liver is 

 a great blood-forming organ, or rather that it is an organ in which 

 certain components of the blood are disintegrated, while from some 

 of the matter so disintegrated a constant reconstruction of the blood 

 is going forward ; yet it is certain that, not long since, physiologists 

 would have been unwilling to admit that materials constituted as the 

 colourless blood- cells or caseine could be formed within the liver from 

 a substance resembling starch taking to itself nitrogen derived, as 

 one may say, from the retrogressive metamorphosis of tissue. It is 

 very improbable that, looking to the liver alone, such a conclusion 

 would have been arrived at. The consideration, however, of the 

 physiological relations of the amyloid substance (of Bernard), as re- 

 gards the development of the azotized tissues of the foetus, the fact 

 that it is, so far as they are concerned, a protoplasma, which, by 

 taking to itself nitrogen, terminates in the evolution of fully-formed 

 nitrogenous tissues, prepares one to consider the idea that the liver 

 evolves its proteic compounds during adult life by a somewhat similar 

 process. 



To M. Charles Rouget we unquestionably owe the observation of 

 the fundamental facts which lead to the foregoing conclusions ; yet 

 the author hopes that the recapitulation of facts in this communica- 

 tion will be found worthy of the consideration of physiologists ; for 

 he conceives that not only is the view of the subject which he has 

 ventured to adopt in harmony with a great number of hitherto unex- 

 plained circumstances, but that it gives a solution more satisfactory 

 than any yet given of certain pathological phenomena which it would 

 be out of place to speak of here. 



