KED PARTICLES OF THE BLOOD. 



CHAPTER I. 



ON THE FIGURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE RED PARTICLES OF 

 THE BLOOD, COMMONLY CALLED THE RED GLOBULES. 



THE red particles of blood in the human subject have, since 

 the time of Leeuwenhoek, been so generally allowed to be 

 spherical, that in almost all books of physiology they are de- 

 nominated red globules (xc). A few authors, however, have, 

 at different times, doubted whether they were spheres, and 

 amongst the rest Father de la Torre, whose curious observa- 

 tions, together with his glasses, were presented to the Royal 

 Society, anno 1766. 



It is a curious and important fact, that these particles are 

 found so generally through the animal kingdom, that is, they 

 are found in the human species, in all quadrupeds, in all birds, 

 in all amphibious animals, and in all fish, in which animals 

 they are red, and colour the blood. 



The blood even of insects contains particles similar in shape 

 to those of the blood of more perfect animals, but differing in 

 colour (xci). 



(xc.) Senac a first mentions them as spherical, and subsequently 

 states that, far from being little spheres, their shape is lenticular, com- 

 paring them to lentils. But the corpuscles were commonly considered 

 to be spherical in Hewson's time, and even long afterwards. The error 

 is hardly now completely discarded. 



(xci.) An account of Mr. Newport's observations on " The Develop- 

 ment of the Blood-Corpuscle in Insects and other Invertebrata, and its 

 Comparison with that of Man and the Yertebrata," will be found in the 

 * Proceedings of the Royal Society/ Feb. 6, 1845. A paper was read 



a Traite de la Structure du Coeur, torn, ii, pp. 81, 656, ed. 1749. 



