BLOOD. 163 



from the corpuscles dming the active metamorphosis of the 

 blood. 



Since the kidneys and the liver secrete fluids from the blood 

 of less specific gravity than the blood itself, it is clear that in 

 its passage through these organs it must become richer in solid 

 constituents than before it entered them ; moreover, as in its 

 circulation through these organs it meets vrith no free oxygen, it 

 must be poorer in fibrin when it leaves them than on its entrance. 



The change that the blood undergoes in these organs, is, 

 however, by no means so simple as it might appear to be, and 

 as, in fact, these analyses might lead us to conceive. There 

 result from it the products of the metamorphosis of the cor- 

 puscles, or of the compounds that are formed from them, as 

 well as of the plasma, during the nutrition of these organs. 

 The excess of albumen in the blood of the renal and hepatic 

 veins is clearly opposed to the view that the urea and bilin are 

 formed from the plasma. 



It is sufficiently established that the renal cells possess the 

 power of removing an excess of salts and water from the blood, 

 in the same manner as the hepatic cells separate fat. 



I beg expressly to repeat that I do not regard the urea, uric 

 acid, and bihn, as the only substances that are formed, besides 

 fibrin and hsemapheein, during the active metamorphosis of the 

 blood-corpuscles j on the contrary, I am of opinion that other 

 substances are likcndse produced, regarding the formation of 

 which we might speak with greater certainty if almost every- 

 thing regarding them were not based on mere conjectures. It 

 is, for instance, very probable that a portion of the globulin 

 is converted into albumen, which, since both substances are 

 protein-compounds, might happen in two ways, either by a 

 portion of the phosphorus, or sulphur, being oxydised, if glo- 

 bulin contain more of those elements than albumen ; or if, on 

 the other hand, it contain less, by the globidin dividing into, 

 for instance, one half or one third of a protein-compound with 

 all the phosphorus and sidphur, and into one half or two thirds 

 of a protein-compound devoid of phosphorus and sulphur, which 

 then undergoes further metamorphosis. The fat, which is more 

 abundant in the blood-corpuscles than in the serum^must likewise 

 undergo a change. The fat of the serum appears to be softer 

 than that of the corpuscles, while that of the fibrin is firm and 



