434 BLOOD DISEASES. 



be considered shows, our attention was prominently directed 

 towards the microscopic characters of the blood : — 



A. In the first place, great anaemia was almost always present. 



The difficulties in making exact observations with the 

 hsematocytometer in open pens were considerable ; and 

 as we had also to make other blood and visceral prepara- 

 tions — which to be of any value must be done with 

 rapidity — the red corpuscles of the blood were enumerated 

 in only a few instances. The smallest number found was 

 700,000 per cubic millimetre. This number indicates a 

 most profound anaemia, being more than seven times less 

 than the normal number. 



The haemoglobin of the blood was also found greatly 

 diminished, but as far as my limited observations went, 

 not to so great an extent as the numl^er of red cells. 



B. The features of the red cells were greatly altered in the 



more grave cases characteristic of changes in all 

 pernicious anaemias. Tlieir measurement (normally 7'5 

 micro.) varied from 3 to 9, 10, or even 12 micro. Their 

 shape, instead of being perfectly discoid, was in many 

 instances irregular, with prolongations in all directions. 

 They were often curved on themselves, and were some- 

 times without pigment. In some I observed a central 

 area about 4 micro, in diameter, which did not stain with 

 basic or acid aniline dyes, surrounded by a more trans- 

 parent zone about 2 micro, wide, staining faintly with 

 basic aniline dyes, but becoming decolorised by a weak 

 solution of acetic acid. 



C. The white corpuscles did not appear to be essentially 



modified, and no detailed study of them was made. 



D. The blood also contained in several cases one or more of 



the following abnormal bodies : — 



(1) In the first acute case observed, that seen in Trelawny, 

 I found a few bodies shaped like a short banana, 

 averaging 4"6 micro, long and about 2 micro, broad, 

 very highly refractile, and not staining deeply with 

 basic aniline dyes. They were seen only in the red 

 cells, not free in the plasma. 



(2) Numerous irregularly rovmded bodies about 1'5 micro, 

 in diam., within, generally near, the margin of and be- 



