LEUCOCYTES. 307 



is obtained which can be precipitated by acetic acid and which forms the 

 chief mass of the leucocytes. This substance, which is undoubtedly 

 concerned in the coagulation of the blood, has been described under 

 different names, such as tissue fibrinogen (WOOLDRIDGE) cytoglobin and 

 prdglobulin (ALEX. SCHMIDT) or nucleohistone (KOSSEL and LILIENFELD J ) 

 and consists, chiefly at least, of nucleoprotein. The ordinary view that 

 this is nucleohistone does not seem to be correct, according to the invest- 

 igations of BANG, 2 and further proof is necessary. 



Besides these constituents of the protoplasm of the leucocytes we 

 must also include lecithin and especially phosphatides, cholesterin, glu- 

 cothionic add (in pus-corpuscles, MANDEL and LEVENE S ), purine bodies 

 derived from the nuclein substances and glycogen. According to HOPPE- 

 SEYLER glycogen is a constant constituent of all cells having amoeboid 

 movement, and he found it in the colorless blood-corpuscles but not in 

 the non-mobile pus-cells. Nevertheless glycogen has also been found 

 in pus-cells by SALOMON 4 and by others. The glycogen found by 

 HUPPERT, CZERNY, DASTRE, 5 and others in blood and lymph probably 

 originated from the leucocytes. Enzymes also occur in the leucocytes 

 and the proteolytic enzymes are of special importance. According to 

 OPIE and BARKER two proteolytic enzymes occur in the leucocytes, 

 one of which is active in alkaline solution and occurs in the polynuclear 

 cells while the other is active in acid solution and occurs in the large 

 mononuclear cells. According to FIESSINGER and MARIE, the leucocytes 

 contain a proteolytic enzyme which forms peptone, leucine and tyrosine 

 from protein and which is probably identical with the proteolytic enzyme 

 discovered earlier by ACHALME in pus. It acts best in faintly alkaline 

 solution, but also in weak acid reaction, and is destroyed at 75-80 C. 

 It occurs in the polynuclear leucocytes but principally in those which have 

 a medullary origin, while it is absent in the leucocytes of the lymph series. 

 The lipase occurring in pus and in blood seems, according to the above 

 experimenters, to originate in the lymphocytes. TSCHERNORUZKI 6 has 



1 See Wooldridge, Die Gerinnung des Blutes (published by M. v. Frey, Leipzig, 1891); 

 A. Schmidt, Zur Blutlehre, Leipzig, 1892; Lilienfeld, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 18. 

 2 1. Bang, Studier over Nukleoproteider, Kristiania, 1902. 



3 Biochem. Zeitschr., 4. 



4 In regard to the literature on Glycogen, see Chapter VII. 



5 Huppert, Centralbl. f. Physiol., 6, 394; Czerny, Arch. f. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 

 31; Dastre, Compt. Rend., 120, and Arch, de Physiol. (5), 7. See also Hirschberg, 

 Zeitschr. f. klin. Med., 54. 



6 In regard to the enzymes see Erben, Jochmann and E. Miiller, Jochmann and 

 Lockemann, Hofmeister's Beitrage, 11, which contains the literature. Opie, Journ. 

 of exper. Medicine, 8; with Barker, ibid., 9; Fiessinger, and Marie, Journ. de physiol. 

 et de pathol. generate, 11, which also contains the literature and Compt. rend. soc. 

 biol, 66, 67; Tschernoruzki, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 75. 



