264 BLOOD 



mented in inflammatory affections. The constituents of the serum 

 increase when the disease presents an intermittent type, but 

 decrease when the disease is characterised merely by remissions of 

 severity. The diminution in the latter case mainly affects the 

 albumen, while the salts of the serum are constantly augmented in 

 quantity. 



In marsh-fevers (malaria), the corpuscles are considerably 

 increased (Salvagnoli and Gozzi, Luderer), while the fibrin, 

 albumen, and fats, are proportionally diminished. A large quantity 

 uf cholesterin, as well as of bile-pigment, is in general found. 



In cholera the blood is especially dense and viscid ; and while 

 the blood-corpuscles are relatively augmented, they are poorer in 

 salts. The fibrin remains unaltered as to quantity ; the serum is 

 denser, poorer in water and salts, but relatively very rich in 

 albumen ; it also contains more potash salts and phosphates than 

 normal serum, some urea, and an extractive substance by which 

 urea is rapidly converted into carbonate of ammonia. 



In dysentery the blood is poor in corpuscles. The fibrin is 

 generally, although not always, somewhat increased. All the 

 solid constituents of the serum are decreased, but especially the 

 albumen. The salts, on the other hand, are considerably increased 

 in quantity. 



In Bright's disease the blood presents not only a considerable 

 diminution in the number of cells, but likewise a great loss of the 

 constituents of the serum. The cholesterin as well as the salts of 

 the serum are, however, augmented, and the fluid almost always 

 exhibits traces of urea, which in some cases is present in con- 

 siderable quantity. Such blood contains on an average more 

 fibrin than in the normal state, while it is only in inflammatory 

 affections of the kidneys, that is to say, in its first stage, that there 

 is any great augmentation of fibrin. 



The hydrcemic blood observed in different kinds of dropsy, is a 

 very attenuated, pale, watery fluid ; in coagulating it forms a very 

 loose, infiltrated gelatinous clot. Its composition is very similar 

 to that observed in Bright's disease, almost the only point of 

 difference being the absence of urea. According to my experience 

 at all events, this substance does not occur in hydraemic blood 

 more than in dropsical exudations, unless in those cases in which 

 renal affections are simultaneously present. 



If by the term anaemia we understand a diminution of the 

 quantity of blood in the vessels (olichamia would, therefore, be a 

 more correct expression, etymologically,) we can scarcely assert 



