312 THE BLOOD. fcHAP. XXVII. 



successive days from his jugular vein. The blood was analysed by 

 our friend, Mr. Lionel Beale, Jun., who obtained the results shown 

 in the following table : 



Here, notwithstanding the liberal allowance of food, the red 

 particles suffered a considerable diminution. 



The dog was now allowed to recover, and was well fed for three 

 weeks, and at the end of that time his blood was analysed ; he 

 was, then, starved for four days, being allowed nothing but water, 

 and on each of these four days was bled. The following table 

 gives the result of the analyses : 



Dog fed. Dog starved. 



In the latter experiments we notice a diminution of the red 

 particles to an extent even more marked than in the former ; and 

 it may also be observed, that even after a lapse of three weeks, 

 with good feeding, the red particles had not recovered their 

 original amount. 



With reference to the estimate of the quantity of fibrine it is 

 right to observe, that, both in these, and all other analyses, it is 

 liable to an important source of fallacy, which arises from the im- 

 possibility of forming a separate estimate of the quantity of the 

 colourless corpuscles which adhere to the fibrine, and must neces- 

 sarily increase its apparent quantity. 



The modifications which disease produces is the relative quanti- 

 ties of the blood-constituents, are chiefly referable to an increase 

 (real or apparent) in the quantity of fibrine, or a diminution of that 

 element, or of the blood-corpuscles ; or, lastly, to such an alteration 

 in the quality of the fibrine (its quantity being unaltered) that its 

 coagulating power is materially interfered with. 



