COMPOSITION OF BLOOD. 77 



The coagulation of the blood is prevented altogether by 

 the addition of strong acids and caustic alkalies. 



It has been believed, and chiefly on the authority of Mr. 

 Hunter, that, after certain modes of death, the blood does 

 not coagulate ; he enumerates the deaths by lightning, 

 over- exertion (as in animals hunted to death), blows on the 

 stomach, fits of anger. He says, " I have seen instances 

 of them all." Doubtless he had done so; but the results 

 of such events are not constant. The blood has been often 

 observed coagulated in the bodies of animals killed by 

 lightning or an electric shock ; and Mr. Gulliver has 

 published instances in which he found clots in the hearts 

 of hares and stags hunted to death, and of cocks killed in 

 fighting. 



Chemical Composition of the Blood. 



Among the many analyses of the blood that have been 

 published, some, in which all the constituents are enume- 

 rated, are inaccurate in their statements of the proportions 

 of those constituents ; others, admirably accurate in some 

 particulars, are incomplete. The two following tables, 

 constructed chiefly from the analyses of Denis, Lecanu, 

 Simon, Nasse, Lehmann, Becquerel, Eodier, and Gavarret, 

 are designed to combine, as far as possible, the advan- 

 tage of accuracy in numbers with the convenience of 

 presenting at one view, a list of all the constituents of the 

 blood. 



Average proportions of the principal constituents of the 

 blood in 1,000 parts : 



Water 7&T 



Red corpuscles (solid residue) 130- 



Albumen of serum . . . . . . . 7' 



Saline matters 6*03 



Extractive, fatty, and other matters . . . . 777 



Fibrin 2-2 



looo- 



