BLOOD. 261 



This table is sufficient to show that the blood taken from the 

 same individual in difterent consecutive bleedings varies con- 

 siderably. The blood taken at the later bleedings contains 

 less solid constituents, less blood-corpuscles, more fibrin, and 

 more solid residue of serum' than the blood which is taken 

 earlier. 



This statement is, however, only true within certain limits ; 

 if the bleedings are carried beyond a certain extent, the fibrin, as 

 well as the corpuscles, are diminished; the whole quantity of solid 

 residue becomes less, whilst the residue of the serum increases. 

 In the third case this proportion is seen on comparing the 

 blood taken on the third, with that taken on the second bleed- 

 ing; but it is much more strikingly shown in the analyses 

 made by Andral and Gavarret, of the blood in acute rheu- 

 matism, as will be seen by the following numerical data.^ 



Day of Solid residue 



Bleeding. Disease. Water. Solid residue. Fibrin. Blood-corpuscles, of serum. 



1 8 778-8 221-2 6-1 1231 920 



2 9 780-9 2191 72 120-7 91-2 



3 10 788-0 212-0 7-8 112-8 91-4 



4 13 799-0 201-0 102 101-0 89-8 



5 17 813-9 186-1 9-0 89-2 87-9 



6 28 826-2 173-8 7-0 83-3 83-0 



My own observations regarding the blood taken by re- 

 peated venesections during peritonitis, give perfectly similar 

 results. I shall endeavour to give an explanation of the origin 

 of these changes at the end of the section on hyperinosis. 



Dr. J. Davy^ has instituted numerous researches on the 



' [This conclusion is not very obvious.] ' Op. cit. p. 246. 



^ Edinb. Med. and Siu-g. Journal, 1839. 



