174 CIRCULATING FLUIDS: 



the ether has been removed by evaporation) be boiled in the 

 same flask with spirit^ of '925 — "935. This must be effected by 

 gently moving the flask over the flame of a spirit-lamp. The 

 spirituous solution must be allowed to boil freely for some time. 

 All the constituents of the blood are taken up except the albu- 

 men : for the salts, extractive matters, hsemaphsein, and hsemato- 

 globulin are all soluble in boiling spirit of "935. The finely- 

 divided albumen is gradually deposited from the clear, hot, 

 deep-red solution, which becomes turbid on cooling. On care- 

 fully examining a thin section or stratum of the fluid, the pre- 

 sence of albumen or of deposited hsematoglobulin in suspension, 

 may be readily detected. In the first case, in addition to floc- 

 culi of a larger or smaller size, there are fine, clearly-defined 

 points to be seen. If the spirituous solution be too thick and 

 consistent to allow of the free deposition of the suspended albu- 

 men, the fluid must be cautiously decanted from the sediment 

 into a large glass, and about double the quantity of spirit of 

 •935 added. It must be heated until all the hsematoglobulin 

 is dissolved, and then gradually cooled. When the solution is 

 perfectly cold, we find deposited at the bottom a small quantity 

 of separated albumen, which must be again washed with alcohol 

 into the flask. The residue in the flask must be boiled with 

 spirit of '935 as long as any additional colouring matter is 

 given off: five, six, or even eight boilings are requisite. A^Tiat 

 now remains is albumen. If the hsematin has been removed 

 as completely as possible, the albumen, while moist, appears of 

 a grayish-green, and when dried, of a dirty-gray colour; and 

 leaves on incineration a bright yellow residue, containing traces 

 of peroxide of iron. It must be washed out of the flask with 

 a little water, with the aid of a feather ; the water must be re- 

 moved by evaporation upon the water-bath, and the residue 

 submitted to a temperature of 230°, and weighed. 



y. The spirituous solutions are collected in a glass, and 

 usually throw down a certain quantity of hsematoglobulin, in the 

 form of flocculi. After the decantation of the fluid, they must 

 be dried upon the water-bath, tritm-ated as finely as possible, 

 rubbed with warm water to a uniform pulp, and washed 

 with spirit of '925. They must be added to the floccidi, of 

 which we shall speak directly. As much alcohol is now added 



' I mix equal parts of alcohol of 85 or OOg with distilled water. 



