MULTIPLICATION OF PUS. 



127 



cation. In many coagulation has taken place on the 

 surface, and thus a sort of " cell wall" has been formed. 

 Within this are granules and minute oil globules, 

 resulting from the disintegration of the living matter, 

 of which the corpuscle originally consisted, and germs 

 of bacteria. Such pus corpuscles do not alter their 

 form of their own accord. After a time they undergo 

 further disintegration. If the pus remains in a cavity 

 in the tissues, the fluid products may be absorbed, 

 while a small quantity of cheesy matter, rich in oil 

 and cholesterine is all that represents what was once 

 pus. 



But how different is the living corpuscle. This 

 may be seen to change its form under the microscope. 

 Diverticula, which are from time to time detached, are 

 seen to be formed at every part of the circumference, 

 and thus give rise to new pus-corpuscles. The living 

 pus-corpuscle is a mass of living, growing germinal 

 matter, derived from matter like itself, or from the 

 normal bioplasm matter of the organism. Plate XV. 



As I stated in 1863, the white blood corpuscle, the 

 minute masses of germinal matter which I have 

 described as existing in the blood, lymph corpuscles, 

 chyle corpuscles, the masses of germinal matter in the 

 spleen and other ductless glands, those found in con- 

 nection with the walls of capillaries, germinal matter 

 of nerve, muscle, and other tissues of the body, may 

 give rise to pus if placed under conditions in which 

 they are too freely supplied with pabulum. 



