90 THE BLOOD. 



the fibrin is said to be increased, these corpuscles become 

 so numerous that a large proportion of the supposed 

 increase of the fibrin must be due to their being weighed 

 with it. On this account all the statements respecting the 

 increase of fibrin in certain diseases need revision. 



The enumeration of the fatty matters of the blood makes 

 it probable that most of those which are found in the 

 tissues or secretions exist also ready-formed in the blood ; 

 for it contains the cholesterin of the bile, the cerebrin 

 and phosphorised fat of the brain, and the margaric and 

 oleic acids of common fat. The fat named serolin appears 

 to be peculiar to the blood. The volatile fatty acid is that 

 on which the odour of the blood mainly depends ; and it 

 is supposed, that when sulphuric acid is added (see p. 66), 

 it evolves the odour by combining with the base with 

 which, naturally, this fat is neutralized. According to 

 Lehmann, much of the fatty matter of the blood is 

 accumulated in the red corpuscles. 



These fatty matters are subject to much variation in 

 quantity, being commonly increased after every meal in 

 which fat, or starch, or saccharine substances have been 

 taken. At such times, the fatty particles of the chyle, 

 added quickly to the blood, are only gradually assimilated; 

 and their quantity may be sufficient to make the serum of 

 the blood opaque, or even milk-like. 



As regards the inorganic constituents of the blood, the 

 substances which remain as ashes after its complete burning 

 one may observe in general their small quantity in pro- 

 portion to that of the animal matter contained in it. 

 Those among them of peculiar interest are the phosphate 

 and carbonate of soda, and the phosphate of lime. It 

 appears most probable, that the blood owes its alkaline 

 reaction to both these salts of soda. The existence of the 

 tribasic phosphate, a salt consisting of one equivalent of 

 phosphoric acid with two of soda and one of basic water 

 ( P0 5 -f 2N a O + HO ) was proved by Enderlin : the pre- 



