CHAP. Ill ] 'THE BLOOD IN DISEASE. 145 



influence of morbid processes the power which haemoglobin possesses of 

 linking oxygen to itself is more or less affected. The conditions under 

 which these observations were made appear, however, to the author, to 

 deprive them of any value whatever. 



Legerot 1 produced septicaemia in dogs by the injection of putrefied blood 

 and compared the respiratory capacity before and after the induction of 

 the morbid state. His results would appear to shew that an enormous 

 diminution (sometimes to more than one half) of the respiratory capacity 

 occurs. 



SECT. 2. THE CHANGES WHICH THE BLOOD UNDERGOES IN 

 PARTICULAR DISEASES. 



In the preceding section we have grouped together under each 

 principal constituent or group of constituents of the blood, the varia- 

 tions which have been observed in diseases generally. 



We must now consider in detail the changes of the several 

 chief constituents of the blood in certain special diseases, which 

 have been particularly studied from this point of view. 



A. THE BLOOD IN DISORDERS OF NUTRITION. 



Anaemia. 



It has long been known that in various forms of anaemia the 

 coloured corpuscles of the blood undergo a diminution, which to 

 a certain extent appears to be proportionate to the intensity of the 

 disease. The observations of the earlier French writers on this 

 subject were definite enough, and although made by methods which 

 did not furnish an absolutely correct estimate of the weight of the 

 dry corpuscles, and gave no indication of the weight of the moist 

 corpuscles, yielded results which might be compared one with the 

 other. Thus Becquerel and Rodier 2 classified cases in which the 

 coloured corpuscles of the blood are deficient, into the three following 

 classes, each distinguished by a separate letter. We give, in the 

 first instance, their account, but slightly abridged. 



Bacquerei Q ass A. Slight diminution (weight of dry corpuscles 

 and Rodiers b t 10Q d 12Q 1QOO of blood)< Individuals 

 classification , , , . ,,. , ,, '. r ri 

 of cases of belonging to this class are pallid, there is some feeble- 

 Anaemia, ness ; sometimes, but by no means always, a blowing 

 murmur is heard with the first sound at the base, and a murmur in 

 the carotids. 



1 Legerot, Etudes dhematologie pathologique lasees sur V extraction des gaz du sang. 

 Paris, 1874, quoted by Rdgnard, Op. cit. p. 121. 



2 Bocquerel et Rodier, Traits de Chimie pathologique. Paris, 1854, p. 50 et seq. 



G. > 10 



