156 CIRCULATING FLUIDS : 



cles up to their jfinal solution, they must undergo so thorough 

 a change as to leave no remains of their principal constituents, 

 the hsematoglobulin, the nuclei, and the capsules, for not a trace 

 of these substances, is found either in the plasma or in any of 

 the secreted or excreted fluids, in which we should naturally 

 expect to find them. It is altogether impossible to state how 

 this change takes place ; this, however, is evident, that if the 

 metamorphosis of the blood-corpuscles terminates in their per- 

 fect solution, both the capsule and the nucleus must be en- 

 tirely dissolved, and neither haematin nor globulin can be 

 contained in it at the moment of solution. What the products 

 of this change actually are is very difficult to determine with 

 any degree of certainty. 



Transitory combinations with a brief existence may be pro- 

 duced, or compounds may be formed, which undergo a further 

 decomposition in certain organs. It is very probable that 

 substances closely resembling the extractive matters are formed 

 in the metamorphosis of the blood-corpuscles, by the decom- 

 position of which urea or uric acid are produced, so that by 

 the influence of a certain organ (the kidney) the compound is 

 separated into those substances, and another form of extractive 

 matter. It may further be presumed that the composition of 

 hsemaphsein is such as to include the constituents of biliphaein, 

 and that the hepatic cells possess the power of secreting the 

 biliphsein from it. 



Combinations may likewise be formed of which we know 

 actually nothing; for the blood has not yet been sufficiently 

 examined. These points need not engross our consideration 

 at present; and I will only remark, that in my attempt to 

 prove that the fibrin and haemaphsein of the plasma, the lu-ea, 

 uric acid, bilin and its acids, the biliphsein, and certain acid 

 fats, are products of the metamorphosis of the blood- corpuscles, 

 I by no means conclude that they are the only products ; in 

 fact, I freely grant my assent to the possibility of many others. 



The blood contains a certain amount of fibrin, varying 

 from '2 to '9, or according to Andral even to I'^l, which on 

 whipping is separated in thickish, globular, elastic, stringy 

 masses; the chyle appears from my analyses to contain not 

 more than from "02 to "045 of fibrin, which, in consequence 

 of its slight tenacity separates on whipping into loose and 



