Polychromasia. The condition of normal and 

 nucleated red cells in which the protoplasm, which 

 normally is acidophil (e.g., stains with eosin), becomes 

 to'a greater or less extent basophil, i.e., stains more or 

 less deeply with a basic stain, e.g., methylene blue, so 

 that if stained with eosin and methylene blue the colour 

 of the red cell would be uniformly purplish. Seen in 

 anaemia, e.g., of blackwater fever, and is very common in 

 almost any form of trypanosomiasis. It is an indication 

 of regeneration or degeneration of the red cell or both. 



Basophilia. The red cells are sprinkled over with 

 fine (bluish) basophil granules, e.g., with Romanowsky 

 or methylene blue. They are the ' primitive granules ' 

 of Plehn. They are of the same significance as the 

 former condition and they may occur together in the 

 same cell, but this is not common. They are seen not 

 uncommonly in malignant tertian malaria, and occur in 

 cells in which there is no parasite. The ' stippling ' of 

 infected cells (p. 32) is very similar but is in this case 

 directly due to the parasite. If these two last con- 

 ditions are being studied, and this should be done 

 especially in blackwater fever, methylene blue alone is 

 one of the best stains. Use a quarter per cent, watery 

 methylene blue and stain for half a minute. They are 

 also shewn by all the other ordinary stains except 

 Ehrlich's triacid. 



NORMAL LEUCOCYTES 



Polymor-phonuclear leucocyte. 10-12^,.* Also called 

 the neutrophil leucocyte because the granules stain (a 



* It is very important to remember that the size of leucocytes and the depth 

 of colour of their nuclei vary according as the leucocytes have been much or not^at 

 all flattened in the making of the films. ^ 



