consequent upon Inflammations of acute local Character. 199 



pointed out that the leucocytosis after bacterial injections is chiefly 

 due to increase of the granular leucocytes ; Lowit* has since shown the 

 same thing for the leucocytosis following injections of albumose, 

 nuclein, &c. In one of his experiments the polynuclear were to mono . 

 nuclear leucocytes as 87 to 13. V. Limbeck, f and Everard, Demoor, 

 and MassartJ note the same feature in the leucocytosis resulting from 

 subcutaneous injections of bacterial cultures. 



As to interpreting the meaning of the leucocytosis, R6mer has 

 asserted that the increase of leucocytes is due to rapid multiplication 

 of the leucocytes in the blood, especially in the blood of the veins. 

 Kanthack|| was, however, unable to confirm Homer's statement that 

 the venous blood showed greater leucocytosis than the arterial ; and 

 Lowit^f has recently pointed out well-founded objections to Homer's 

 observations. Lowit considers the leucocytosis due to increased supply 

 of young leucocytes to the blood, these developing into the polynuclear 

 form. Lowit supposes that the excessive production of leucocytes 

 following their diminution (in his view their dissolution) is due to 

 chemical stimulation of leucocyte- forming organs (lymph-glands, &c.) 

 by substances shed into the blood plasma at the time of disintegration 

 of the hsemic leucocytes. He considers this explanation applicable 

 to all forms' of leucocytosis, and from it argues the probability that 

 " inflammatory leucocytosis " will be found to be preceded by a 

 diminution of hsemic leucocytes. My experiments bear him out in 

 that point ; but, as to basing inflammatory leucocytosis on a previous 

 dissolution of haemic leucocytes my observations lend no help, and are 

 capable of interpretation in other ways. 



I think in my experiments the degree of leucocytopenia has not 

 always been similarly proportioned to the succeeding leucocytosis. 

 Since reproductive division of leucocytes, inclusive of the granular, 

 polynuclear, or adult form, has now been shown to occur in the blood, 

 the finely granular leucocytes may, therefore, increase in number by 

 reproduction within the circulation. 



Third. Behaviour of the coarsely-granular Leucocyte. 



A striking and I believe hitherto unrecorded feature of the change 

 in the leucocytic elements of the blood relates to Wharton Jones's 

 " coarsely-granular cell." 



This leucocyte, like the other granular leucocytes, suffers numerical 



* Op. dt. 

 t Op. tit. 



I Op. cit. 

 Op. cit. 



l| " Acute leucocytosis produced by bacterial products," 'Brit. Med. Journ.,' June 

 18, 1892, p. 1301. 

 H Op. cit. 



