364 CHYLE, LYMPH, TRANSUDATES _AND EXUDATES. 



The ash of pus-serum has the following composition, calculated to 

 1000 parts of the serum: 



i. IT. 



NaCl . . 5.22 5.39 



Na 2 SO 4 0.40 0.31 



Na 2 HPO 4 . 0.98 0.46 



Na 2 CO 3 0.49 1 . 13 



Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 0.49 0.31 



Mg 3 (PO 4 )2 0.19 0.12 



PO 4 (in excess) 0.05 



The pus-corpuscles are generally thought to consist chiefly of emi- 

 grated white blood-corpuscles, and their chemical properties have there- 

 fore been given in discussing these. The molecular granules, fat- 

 globules, and red blood-corpuscles are considered rather as casual form- 

 elements. 



The pus-cells may be separated from the serum by centrifugal force, 

 or by decantation directly or after dilution with a solution of sodium 

 sulphate in water (1 vol. saturated sodium-sulphate solution and 9 vols. 

 water) and then washed by this same solution in the same manner as 

 the blood-corpuscles. 



The chief constituents of the pus-corpuscles are proteins, of which 

 the largest portion seems to be a nucleoprotein which is insoluble in 

 water and which expands into a tough, slimy mass when treated with a 

 10-per cent common-salt solution. This protein substance, which is 

 soluble in alkali but is quickly changed thereby, is called ROVIDA'S hyaline 

 substance, and the property of the pus of being converted into a slime- 

 like mass by a solution of common salt depends on this substance. Besides 

 this substance, to which the nucleoprotein of the pus-cells investigated 

 by STRADA 1 seems to stand in close relation, we also have a globulin 

 which coagulates at 48-49 C., as well as serglobulin (?), seralbumin, 

 a substance similar to coagulated protein (MIESCHER), and lastly peptone 

 or proteose (HOFMEISTER 2 ) . It is very remarkable that no nucleo- 

 histone-.or histone has been detected in the pus-cells, although histone 

 occurs in the cells of the lymph glands. 



There are also found in the protoplasm of the pus-cells, besides the 

 proteins, lecithin, cholesterin, glucothionic acid, 3 purine bodies, fat, and soaps. 

 HOPPE-SEYLER has found cerebrin, a decomposition product of a pro- 

 tagon-like substance, in pus (see Chapter XI). KOSSEL and FREYTAG 4 

 have isolated from pus two substances, pyosin and pyogenin, which 



1 Bioch. Zeitschr., 16. 



2 Miescher in Hoppe-Seyler's Med.-Chem. Untersuch., 441; Ch. Pons. Maly's Jahresb., 

 39; Hofmeister, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 4. 



3 Mandel and Levene, Bioch. Zeitschr., 4. 

 * Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 17, 452. 



