GROWTH OF BIOPLASM. 343 



Under favourable circumstances, much of the 

 noxious substances which have accumulated may be 

 removed from the circulating fluid by the growth of the 

 bioplasm, and thus temporarily stored in the form of 

 living matter. Time may be gained for the excreting 

 organs to right themselves, and that most favourable 

 symptom in all cases free excretion may occur, 

 in which case the surcharged bioplasm becomes at 

 once reduced in volume, and is ready to appropriate 

 more of the dangerous pabulum. The blood is thus 

 relieved. Its bioplasm then takes up the excess of 

 pabulum in the tissues, the bioplasm of which gradually 

 returns to its former volume, and there is every pros- 

 pect of the normal balance of the nutritive and de- 

 structive processes being gradually restored. If, how- 

 ever as but too frequently happens the proportion 

 of the noxious matters already formed be very great, 

 the bioplasm continues to increase unduly ; and, as 

 has been mentioned, it is this increase which not un- 

 frequently determines the fatal result. But still, the 

 state of things established by the undue growth of 

 bioplasm, unlike that resulting from putrefactive de- 

 composition, is not immediately or necessarily fatal ; 

 and if by the process life is destroyed, that event is 

 considerably postponed. 



2 A 2 



