consequent upon Inflammations of acute local Character. 1 81 



III. HEMARKS ON THE H^EMIC CHANGES OBSERVED. 



In this note I propose to remark briefly on the significance to be 

 attached to the above haemic changes. 



(I.) The Apoplasmia of the Blood. 



The measurements shew that consequent upon an acute local in- 

 flammation the circulating blood becomes inspissated in the sense 

 that it loses some of its plasma, while its chromocytes do not escape, 

 or at least not in direct proportion to the loss of plasma. There 

 results, therefore, an apoplasmia of the blood, referable, doubtless, to 

 increased exudation through the vascular membrane in the inflamed 

 area. The amount of fluid lost to th circulation by the vascular 

 leakage at the locus Icesionis is thus shown to be not equalised by in- 

 creased entrance of lymph into the circulation, via thoracic duct, &c. 

 The local tumor itself consists partly of fluid exudation, whence it is 

 obvious that not all the actual fluid exuded is returned forthwith by 

 the lymph drainage system. It is conceivable that the loss of Jluid 

 from the blood, threatening as it must, an upset of various mechanical 

 arrangements in the circulation, would be remedied at once or very 

 soon by call upon the tissue lymph of various other regions, especially 

 as Heidenhain has shown that such a call can be made by chemical 

 means appealing through the circulation. The above observations 

 negative this idea. The plasma of the blood as regards quantity is 

 neither maintained nor speedily re-established. The facts show that 

 the call on the lymph of other parts, if made, does not at least suffice 

 to speedily restore to the blood its normal quantity of fluid. "Nor is 

 the phenomenon simply a case of lost time between the escape of the 

 fluid from the circulation and its return again into the circulation ; 

 it persists for too considerable a period. In one experiment the 

 blood for more than sixty hours was apoplasmic to the extent that its 

 specific gravity remained heightened 0'021 (water I'OOO) above 

 normal, while the specific gravity of its serum (plasma) was not 

 heightened at all, indeed was 0'002 less than at outset of experiment. 

 Nor need it be extreme in order to be long-lasting, as the following 



amplifies : 



og, young ; in good condition. 



3 P.M. Fed at noon, chiefly lean meat. 



Sp. gr. of blood from ear . . 1'054 



,, serum from ear T023 



Two days later. 3.15 P.M. Temperature, 39 C . Eespiration, 20. 



Not fed to day, in view of surgical operation. 

 Sp. gr. of blood from ear 1'054 



serum from ear T023 



POL. LV. 



