The Relationship between the Factors inducing Haemolysis and 

 those inducing the Phagocytosis of Red Blood Corpuscles, 



A.— HISTORICAL. 

 Introductory. 



The subject of the phagocytosis of red blood cells is an interesting one 

 from several points of view. It is a phenomenon which occurs in the 

 animal organism under various conditions, and all these processes in 

 which certain cells become the prey as it were of others belonging to the 

 same animal organism must be of much interest to the pathologist. 



An interesting example of phagocytosis of red blood cells occurring 

 in the human subject was recently examined by the writer. The case 

 was that of a woman who died of puerperal sepsis six days after 

 delivery. In the large blood sinuses of the uterus could be seen 

 multitudes of mononuclear cells swollen out with ingested red corpuscles, 

 and even amongst the muscle fibres such cells could be observed. 

 Owing to the alteration in form produced by the process of ingestion, it 

 was extremely difficult to say what the exact nature of these cells was. 

 They were large and round, the single nucleus was relatively small, 

 round in shape, and well-stained. Although it is probable that these 

 were mononuclear leucocytes, yet the possibility of their being connective 

 tissue cells had to be considered. In any case it was clear that these 

 cells were acting as scavengers, and were removing the superfluous 

 erythrocytes. 



Exactly similar appearances were presented by sections of a 

 carcinoma of the breast in a mouse. These were very kindly brought to 

 the notice of the writer by Dr. F. W. Twort, assistant bacteriologist in 



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