262 BLOOD 



increased in healthy animals, and in disease it is altogether 

 independent of the abstraction of blood. The blood-cells became 

 poorer in globulin, and relatively richer in heematin (C. Schmidt). 



These facts seem in some degree connected with the differences 

 observed in the constitution of different portions of blood taken at 

 one and the same venesection by Prevost and Dumas especially, but 

 also by Becquerel and Rodier, and Zimmermann. After the loss of 

 the first portion of blood (about 100 grammes), the solid consti- 

 tuents are in no case increased in the second portion, but on the con- 

 trary they almost always diminish with tolerable uniformity, while 

 a third portion very frequently exhibits an increase of solid con- 

 stituents when compared with the second (Zimmermann). This 

 diminution of the solid substances depends upon the resorption of 

 fluid, which obviously is owing to the absorption not of pure 

 water, but of lymph, fluid exudations, and parenchymatous juice, 

 which are lighter than the blood. The amount of absorption of 

 water varies, however, very considerably in special cases. In Bec- 

 querePs experiments the quantity of water increased almost 

 uniformly with each portion of blood, till it attained its maximum 

 in the last that was drawn. 



Inflammatory diseases constantly induce an increase of fibrin, 

 when the inflammation is accompanied with fever. The number 

 representing the fibrin is in general increased in the largest pro- 

 portion in acute articular rheumatism and in pneumonia. A con- 

 siderable increase of fibrin may be induced even where inflamma- 

 tion of a tissue is not very extensively diffused, as, for instance, 

 in erysipelatous inflammations. In each individual disease the 

 quantity of fibrin in the blood increases in proportion to the 

 degree and duration of the inflammation. The increase of this 

 substance is independent of the condition of the patient as to 

 strength, and unconnected with the increase or decrease of the 

 other solid constituents of the blood. Even in the most decided 

 anosmia or hydraemia, the inflammation induces an augmentation of 

 the fibrin. As the blood of persons who have died from acute 

 cerebral diseases has never been found in a state of coagulation, it 

 appears not wholly irrelevant to observe that in meningitis, &c., 

 the blood removed from the living body has been found to be as 

 rich in fibrin as- it is in any other form of inflammation. 



Tne number of the red blood-cells is decreased during the 

 febrile inflammatory process, although not to any very great degree, 

 unless the existence of other pathological processes has induced a 

 simultaneous diminution of ths whole mass of the blood-cells. In 



