1894.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 301 



A Study of the Microscopic Plienomena of Commencing 



Inflammation, With Special Reference to the 



Diapedesis of the White Blood Corpuscles. 



By CHAS. F. CRAIG, M. D. 



DANBURY, CONN. 



Away back in the olden times, observers noticed that 

 a majority of the diseases of man were accompanied by 

 certain symptoms and these were constant and formed an 

 unbroken chain in many instances. They were : swelling, 

 redness, pain and heat in the diseased part or organ, and 

 also, at times, an increase in the pulse-rate and a rise in 

 the general temperature of the body. 



We have no difficulty in recognizing here the charact- 

 eristics belonging to inflammation and fever. The tissue 

 which was red, swollen and painful was said to be in- 

 flamed, while if there were an increased pulse-rate, higher 

 temperature, and a change in the chemical activities going 

 on within the body, there was said to be fever. 



The connection between inflammation and fever was 

 generally easily seen, but sometimes one occurred without 

 the visible presence of the other and their connection was 

 obscured, but there came a day when the microscope was 

 introduced into medical research, and then the produc- 

 tion of inflammation and fever were closely studied and 

 light was shed on what was before darkness. 



By careful experiment the following facts have been 

 clearly proved regarding the origin of inflammation. 



First, there is, on irritating the tissue experimented 

 upon a dilatation of the capillaries, then a migration 

 through the capillary walls of leucocytes or white blood 

 corpuscles, which spread into and increase in the sur- 

 rounding tissue ; then a blood stasis in the dilated capil- 

 laries and a congestion in the inflammatory area. These 

 are accompanied by disturbances in the nutritive pro- 

 cesses and a heightened temperature, i. e. fever. 



