150 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF NUCLEI OF BLOOD CORPUSCLES. 



nor do they form a jelly like the caustic alkalis ; sometimes, 

 however, they cause the zooids to stick together and form flocks, 

 which, rising to the top, form a sticky mass. Lime and baryta 

 water leave them apparently unchanged, and, after standing on 

 them some time, give no precipitate with acetic acid, but an 

 immediate turbidity if ferrocyanide of potassium be then added. 

 Concentrated mineral acids dissolve the zooids, and give a pre- 

 cipitate on the addition of alkalis or much water. 



Dilute mineral acids, such as HCl of 10 per cent., cause the 

 mixture with water to foam on shaking, but when the filtered 

 lluid is made alkaline by potash it gives no precipitate witli 

 acetic acid, but a turbidity when ferrocyanide of potassium is 

 then added. The filtered solutions of the zooids in alkalis give 

 the reactions of albumin, but the precipitate by acetic acid is 

 generally insoluble in excess. Sometimes, however, not only 

 the mucin from nuclei, but that from glands and tendons, 

 appears quite soluble in large excess of glacial acetic acid. If 

 the zooids be treated with IICl of one-tenth per cent., or acetic 

 acid or NaCl solution of 10 per cent., and the filtered solution be 

 precipitated by acetic acid and again filtered, the clear fluid in 

 each case gives the reactions of albumin. The HCl solution is 

 precipitated on neutralization, and the precipitate is insoluble 

 in NaCl solutions of 10 per cent. 



. The albuminous body thus belongs to that class which 

 includes, according to Hoppe-Seyler, fibrinogen, fibrinoplastic 

 substance and myosin. 



That the zooids contain fibrinoplastic substance or para- 

 globulin, as stated by Hoppe-Seyler, is shown by the distinct 

 fibrinoplastic action which they exert when well washed. Some- 

 times they possess none at all ; and this is probably due to the 

 removal of the substance in the washing, the salt solution with 

 which the corpuscles were washed not having been sufficiently 

 carefully removed, and rendering the first water a dilute salt 

 solution. This dissolves a certain amount both of albuminous 

 substance and of mucin, becomes milky after standing or pass- 

 ing COg through it, and possesses a slight fibrinoplastic effect. 

 The fibrinoplastic effect was tried in all cases with a mixture of 

 horse plasma and sulphate of magnesia. 



