i88 HEMOGLOBIN. 



THE PROBABLE EELATIONS OF THE BLOOD-COLOURING MATTER TO 

 THE OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF THE COLOURED CORPUSCLES. 



Without encroaching upon the domain of histology, reference must 

 be made to the two principal views which have been advanced in 

 reference to the structure of the coloured corpuscles. 



According to the first, 1 which dates from the time of Bidloo, 2 Wells, 3 

 and Hewson, 4 and which was strongly advocated by Schwann, the 

 coloured corpuscles of the blood are vesicular bodies, possessing an 

 external envelope enclosing fluid contents. 



This view has been revived and strongly insisted upon by Scluifer, 5 

 who briefly describes the structure of the red corpuscle in the following 

 sentence : " Each red corpuscle is formed of two parts, a coloured and 

 a colourless, the former being a solution of haemoglobin ; the latter, the 

 so-called stroma, which is in by far the smaller quantity, being composed 

 of various substances, chief among these being lecithin and cholesterin, 

 together with a small amount of cell globulin." 6 



According to the second view, which, in its present form, we owe to 

 Eollett 7 and Brlicke, 8 and which for many years found general favour, the 

 coloured blood corpuscle is not considered as vesicular, but as a viscous 

 solid mass composed of a colourless, highly elastic framework, the stroma 

 (Rollett) denser at the periphery than at the centre, in the interstices 

 or trabeculse of which haemoglobin and the other constituents of the 

 corpuscles are contained. 



Without attempting to decide which of these views, if either, is the 

 correct one, it is expedient to consider some questions bearing upon 

 them, and towards the solution of which we possess important facts. 



Making for the moment the assumption which, as will be shown in 

 the sequel, is denied by Hoppe-Seyler, that oxyhamioglobin exists as 

 such in the coloured blood corpuscles, the question arises, in what 

 physical state does it occur? Is it simply dissolved in the liquid 

 contents of the corpuscles, or is it dissolved in virtue of its being in com- 

 bination with other constituents ? Is it in a solid condition ? and if so, 

 is there any evidence as to whether its structure is crystalline or 

 amorphous ? 



That the colour of the blood does not depend upon a simple aqueous 

 solution of haemoglobin, is evident when we consider that the blood 

 corpuscles are among the soft parts of the body which contain the least 

 water ; 9 and that not only is the water which the coloured corpuscles 

 contain altogether insufficient to hold the haemoglobin in solution, but in 

 some animals, the haemoglobin of which is more sparingly soluble than 



1 A reference to and discussion of the earlier literature relating to this view will be 

 found in Gamgee's "Physiological Chemistry," vol. i. p. 72. 



2 " Anatomia humani corporis, 1685," quoted by Milne-Edwards, "Lecons, etc.," 

 tome i. p. 66. 



"On the Colour of the Blood," Phil. Trans., London, 1797, p. 429. 



4 Hewson's Works, Syd. Soc. 



5 "Quain's Anatomy," 1891, vol. i. pt. 2, p. 210. 



6 Halliburton and Friend ; since shown to be a nucleo-proteid. EDITOR. 



7 Sitzungsb. d. k. Akad. d. Wisscnsch., Wien, 1862, Bd. xlvi. Abth. 2, S. 73. 



8 Briicke applied the term Oekoid to the stroma, ibid., Wien, 1867, Bd. Ivi. Abth. 2, 

 S. 79. 



9 According to Bunge, "Zur quantitative!! Analyse des Blutes," Ztschr. f. BioL, 

 Munchen, 1876, Bd. xii. S. 191, the blood corpuscles contain 367 parts of solids, and 63'3 

 parts of water ; muscular tissue contains about 25 per cent, of solids, and 75 per cent, of 

 water ; nerves contain about 22 per cent, of solids, and 78 per cent, of water. 



