60 CELLULAR STAINING, DEATH, ACHROAIASIA 



known as the hyaline cell. Achromatic lympho- 

 cytes resemble them strongly. A dead lymphocyte, 

 from which the granules have disappeared, will not 

 stain, and the cell resting on the jelly looks like a 

 phantom. We have never been able to excite such 

 a cell. If a specimen of fresh blood is placed carefully 

 on a jelly-film, one does not usually see any such cells, 

 for all the cells will stain; but after a while the film 

 may contain many examples of achromatic cells which 

 appear to be exactly like what are known as hyaline 

 leucocytes by the older methods. Achromasia is a 

 certain sign of death, and the recognition of its very 

 characteristic appearances is of the utmost importance 

 in this form of research. It should be borne in mind 

 that a cell with a stained nucleus is dead, and so is 

 a cell which is achromatic. 



