CHAP. VI.] PUS. 241 



SEC. 3. Pus CORPUSCLES. 



As has been mentioned in a preceding section, these corpuscles 

 may be obtained by mixing fresh pus with solution of sodium sulphate 

 and filtering ; the corpuscles left on the filter may be freed from 

 adhering pus serum by washing with an additional quantity of the 

 solution of sodium sulphate. 



Action of Solution of common salt cannot be employed in the 



Naci on the place of solution of sodium sulphate in the separation of 



proteids of pus cells, for, under the influence of sodium chloride, the 



the cell ce ii s are converted into a slimy, opaque, jelly, precipitable 

 protoplasm. 



The Proteids present in the Cell- protoplasm. 



It was formerly supposed that the pus corpuscles contained a 

 considerable quantity of a proteid identical with myosin. The most 

 careful investigation yet made (by Miescher 1 ) of the constituents of 

 pus cells failed to detect myosin. 



According to this author three proteids soluble in water can be 

 obtained from the protoplasm of the pus cells, viz. (1) alkaline 

 albuminate, partially precipitated by C0 2 , and more completely pre- 

 cipitated by acetic acid, insoluble in solution of sodium chloride, and 

 soluble in very dilute hydrochloric acid (1 to 1000 of water): (2) a 

 proteid coagulable at 48 49 ; the flakes which separate are insoluble 

 in dilute HC1 and in solution of NaCl: (3) a proteid which 

 coagulates at the same temperature as serum-albumin. In addition 

 to these, two proteids insoluble in water are also present, in prepon- 

 derating quantity, viz. (1) a body insoluble in water, swelling up in 

 solution of NaCl, soluble in very dilute hydrochloric acid (1 to 1000) 

 giving rise to acid-albumin : this is the body, formerly considered to 

 be identical with myosin, which occasions the peculiar phenomenon 

 observed when pus is mixed with solution of common salt ; (2) a body 

 unacted upon by water and by solution of NaCl, and attacked with 

 difficulty by dilute hydrochloric acid (1 to 1000). 



The matter of the Nuclei. Nude in (?). 



When pus corpuscles are subjected to the repeated action of 

 weak- hydrochloric acid, it occasionally happens that a considerable 

 number of free nuclei are obtained; the greater number, however, 

 have some remains of the cell protoplasm yet adhering to them. 



By digesting pus cells in artificial gastric juice (made by di- 

 gesting the mucous membrane of pig's stomach in water containing 

 10 c.c. of fuming HCi in 1 litre) the nuclei of the pus cells are 



1 Miescher, "Ueber die cliemische Zusammensetzung der Eiterzellen." Hoppe- 

 Seyler, Med.-chem. Untersuchungen, p. 441 et seq. 



G. 1C 



