THE RED BLOOD CORPUSCLES 187 



of the different reducing agents. Even air and pure oxygen are quite 

 unable to destroy this combination with ease. For this reason, the 

 inhalation of coal gas, or of illuminating gas of which carbon monoxid 

 is a constituent, gives rise to symptoms of poisoning which are scarcely 

 less severe than those following the abstraction of oxygen from the in- 

 spiratory air. Gradually, as the hemoglobin becomes more thoroughly 

 charged with this gas, it fails in an increasing measure to bind the 

 necessary amounts of oxygen. The tissues become oxygen-starved 

 and eventually cease their normal activities. Death results, as a rule, 

 before all the oxygen has been displaced. About one-fifth of its total 

 amount most generally remains in the corpuscle. Carbon monoxid 

 is also capable of uniting with the oxygen of the tissues, thereby de- 

 stroying the life of the cells themselves. 



Hemoglobin exhibits an avidity for carbon monoxid which is 140 times greater 

 than that for oxygen. Thus, if the oxygen has been displaced by carbon monoxid, 

 the hemoglobin cannot easily be made to recombine with the former. For this 

 reason, the forcible introduction of air or pure oxygen into the lungs of an indi- 

 vidual poisoned with coal gas or water gas, can have no other beneficial effect than 

 the removal of that portion of the carbon monoxid which has as yet remained 

 uncombined. To be sure, if a certain number of corpuscles are still present which 

 have retained their normal capacity to carry oxygen, the metabolism of the tissues 

 may continue at low ebb until more favorable conditions have been established in 

 consequence of an active regeneration of the red cells. In severe cases, however, 

 which necessitate a very quick production of new oxygen-carriers, large quantities 

 of the carbon monoxid blood must be displaced by the process of blood-transfusion. 



The blood of a person poisoned by carbon monoxid gas, possesses a cherry-red 

 color. The muscles and organs, as well as the integument, exhibit a similar dis- 

 coloration. The presence of very small quantities of this gas in the respiratory 

 air (Mooo~Ko>ooo) is sufficient to produce relativelj^ large amounts of CO hemo- 

 globin. It is for this reason that the admixture of even very slight quantities of 

 this gas to the air of dwellings is so dangerous to life. It must be admitted, 

 however, that some animals are more susceptible to it than others, which fact im- 

 plies that the blood of animals differs somewhat in its power of absorbing this 

 gas. 



Illuminating gas contains another substance, ethylene, which seems to be 

 strongly toxic to trees and seedlings. Its action upon animals is not known, but as 

 it is highly toxic, even the slightest escape of illuminating gas should be carefully 

 guarded against. 



A compound of even greater stability results, if nitric oxid (NO) is brought into 

 contact with hemoglobin. This union, however, cannot be effected in the body, 

 because the oxygen which under normal conditions is always available, immediately 

 instigates a reduction. For this reason, the formation of this compound necessi- 

 tates the removal of the oxygen from the blood by hydrogen. Hydrocyanic acid 

 (CHN) also enters into combination with hemoglobin, and it is also said that a 

 typical sulphohemoglobin may be formed. 



In accordance with the observations of Buckmaster and Gardner, showing 

 that ether and chloroform lower the oxygen carrying power of the blood, it may 

 be surmised that hemoglobin may also form a compound with these agents. 

 This union is not identical with that ordinarily effected between these anesthetics 

 and the lecithin or other lipins of the red corpuscles. 



Derivative Compounds of Hemoglobin. — The decomposition of 

 hemoglobin in the absence of oxygen gives rise to hemochromogen^ 

 ^ Discovered by Hoppe-Seyler, Zeitschr. fiir physiol. Chemie, xiii, 1889, 477. 



