J94.] Disappearance of Leucocytes from the Btood. 295 



" On the Disappearance of the Leucocytes from the Blood, 

 after Injection of Peptone." By Surgeon-Captain DAVID 

 BRUCE, A.M.S., Army Medical School, Netley. Commu- 

 nicated by Professor HORSLEY, F.R.S. Received February 

 21, 1894. 



As is well known, the injection of a solution of peptone into the 

 julation of certain animals is followed immediately by a very con- 

 lerable diminution in the number of white blood corpuscles in the 

 mlating blood. Some investigators who have written on this sub- 

 it ascribe this diminution to the destruction and breaking down of 

 xe leucocytes in the blood plasma. 



As this theory appeared to me to rest on the very slenderest 

 ridence, and as it seemed to me much more natural to believe that a 

 emporary withdrawal of the leucocytes into the internal organs took 

 I was led to attempt the enumeration of the white blood cor- 

 3les in sections of the various organs before and after the injection 

 peptone. 



If the theory of destruction is true, then the leucocytes ought to 



found in fewer numbers in the organs as well as in the blood, 



icreas, if the theory of temporary withdrawal be the trne one, then 



augmentation in their number should be seen in the sections. 



For the purpose of this enumeration I used rabbits of equal weight, 



ad proved to have a normal number of white blood corpuscles by 



tamination of samples of blood taken from the ear. 



Six rabbits were taken. The organs of two of these were examined 



rithout previous injection of peptone. The third, with a normal 



imber of white blood corpuscles, was killed 3^ hours after the injec- 



an of the peptone solution, when f-ths of the white blood corpuscles 



disappeared from the circulating blood. 

 The fourth, also having a normal number of white blood corpuscles, 

 is killed 5 seconds after injection, when almost all the leucocytes 

 id disappeared, at least from the blood of the heart. 

 In the fifth and sixth a leucocytosis was first caused by the injec- 

 3n of appropriate fluids and the animals killed 5 seconds after the 

 ajection of peptone. 



As it seemed to me impossible to be certain of recognising all the 

 meties of the leucocytes in sections of the organs, I restricted 

 lyself to enumerating what I know as the polynuclear variety, since 

 ris is the variety which disappears most completely from the blood 

 er the injection of peptone and many other substances, and which 

 be very readily recognised in sections after appropriate stain- 



