1 98 ELIMINA TION. 



point marked. Below this point its walls were very 

 permeable, and permitted the fine Prussian blue 

 injection* to pass through them readily. 



Capillary haemorrhage, as is well known, although 

 frequent in cholera, is by no means constant. It is 

 probable that in many capillaries extreme distension 

 is followed by cessation of the circulation and stagna- 

 tion of the blood, which then undergoes change, much 

 of it being re-absorbed. The vessel after shrinking 

 very much gradually wastes, as has been already 

 described. 



It would seem, therefore, that in this case a free 

 escape of fluid occurs, and any disease particles 

 present would be removed in the blood. The circum- 

 stances, therefore, which gave rise to the stagnation 

 of the blood and the distension of the capillary 

 vessels must be regarded as the cause of the escape 

 from the blood of fluid holding in suspension the 

 disease-germs. Neither the epithelium which had 

 probably been removed long before, nor other struc- 

 ture external to the vessels were actively concerned 

 in the discharge of fluid or in the removal of the 

 disease-germs. 



As, however, it has been maintained that " elimina- 

 tion" performs a very active part in the removal of 

 matters from the blood, and that living disease-germs 



* For the composition of the Prussian blue injecting fluid, see "The 

 Microscope in its Application to Practical Medicine," 3rd edition ; or 

 " How to Work with the Microscope," 4th edition. 



