1 40 CHANGES IN BIOPLASM 



last end in the development of the poison. The 

 morbid change is sometimes limited to the effusion of 

 serum and the production, of " inflammatory lymph," 

 but in other instances the inflammation proceeds to a 

 further stage, and actual pus is generated. Peritonitis 

 is an example of an inflammation which much more 

 frequently proceeds to the formation of pus than 

 inflammation of other serous membranes. The greater 

 vascularity of the peritoneum as compared with allied 

 textures may perhaps account for this fact. It is inter- 

 esting to discuss briefly the characters of the different 

 " inflammatory products," as they are called, resulting 

 from peritoneal inflammation, varying in intensity. 



In slight inflammation there is great vascular dis- 

 tension, accompanied, as in other cases, by .the escape 

 of exudation in which are suspended particles of bio- 

 plasm. The exudation coagulates upon the surfaces of 

 the serous membrane, perhaps glueing them together. 

 The fluid portion is gradually absorbed, and if the 

 case progresses to recovery, much of the coagulated 

 matter is also taken up, a little being transformed 

 into fibrous tissue, resulting in a few " adhesions," or 

 mere thickening of the serous membrane, as the case 

 may be. 



When, however, the intensity of the inflammation 

 is more marked, the little particles of bioplasm ori- 

 ginally derived from the white blood-corpuscles, grow 

 and multiply, and with the fibrinous matter in which 

 they are entangled, form transparent flocculi, which 



