THE BLOOD NOT A LIVING FLUID. 409 



is every reason to think that the soluble albuminous 

 constituents, and the red blood-corpuscles, are as 

 inanimate while circulating in the vessels of the living 

 body as they are after the blood has been withdrawn 

 from the vessels.* 



Every kind of pabulum and every stimulant, like 

 every narcotic, and every medicinal remedy is inani- 

 mate. Everything which contributes to nutrition is 

 lifeless. Living matter never lives upon living matter. 

 The pabulum of the tissues, especially in the case of 

 man and the higher animals, results, no doubt, entirely 

 from the death of living matter ; but, as pabulum, it 

 is inanimate. But although the blood is not a living 

 fluid, it contains masses of living matter (colourless 

 corpuscles and minute particles of bioplasm in great 

 number), and many corpuscles which are not living 

 (fully formed red corpuscles). 



Neither blood, nor lymph, nor chyle, nor cod-liver 

 oil, nor alcohol, nor any nutritive substance what- 

 ever, can be correctly spoken of as life-giving. Nor 

 do certain conditions call forth " vital energy" or 

 act as " vital stimuli" or increase vital power which 

 already exists. Heat, various external conditions, 

 and excitants or irritants, as they are termed, act 



* The matter of which each red blood-corpuscle is composed, tends 

 to assume the crystalline form when its movement ceases. This is 

 well seen in Guinea-pig's blood. Each red corpuscle becomes a 

 tetrahedral crystal. This fact is conclusive against the notion that 

 red blood-corpuscles are in an active state of vitality. Living matter 

 does not crystallise. 



