BLOOD. 289 



The disease diagnosed in both instances (which occurred in 

 our hospital) was dothiuenteritis. 



In both cases venesection was ordered at an early stage of 

 the disease, when there was a good deal of vascular excitement 

 present, which may account for the partial decrease of the fibrin 

 and increase of the corpuscles. 



The blood in analysis 29 was taken from a man 30 years of 

 age ; the tongue was furred, abdomen tender on pressure, mind 

 tolerably clear ; pulse rather full, 95 in the minute. 



The blood in analysis 30 was taken from a man 38 years of 

 age, in whom there was a good deal of nervous excitement, gid- 

 diness, and buzzing of the ears ; the abdomen was tender on 

 being pressed, the tongue thickly coated, and the pulse quick, 

 rather hard and full. Both cases turned out favorably. ^ 



The most comprehensive researches on the blood in typhoid 

 fever (fievres typhoides^) are those of Andral and Gavarret, 

 who made 50 analyses of blood taken from 20 persons suffering 

 vmder this affection. 



The following are their principal results : 



The fibrin never rises perceptibly above the normal standard 

 in true typhoid fever. It often remains at the normal height, 

 and is still more frequently below it. 



In inflammatory disorders it is pretty clear that the fibrin 

 increases with the increased intensity of the disease : here we 

 observe just the reverse : the fibrin decreases in proportion to 

 the advancement of the disorder. 



Andral and Gavarret observe that this cannot be ascribed to 

 the repeated bleedings, or to the continued low diet, for these 

 circumstances induce no change in the amount of fibrin in other 

 diseases. As soon, however, as any symptoms of convalescence 

 appear, the fibrin begins to increase, even before the organiza- 

 tion could contribute a supply by increased nutriment. This 

 continues to be the case during the progress of convalescence, and 

 as the patient improves the corpuscles simultaneously decrease. 



In inflammatory diseases we observed a general tendency to 



' [111 an analysis of the blood in typhus abdominaUs, made subsequently to the 

 publication of his Chemistry, Simon found, water 887'5, solid constituents 112-5, 

 fibrin none, albumen 54, haematoglobulin 47-25.] 



2 Fievre continue qui recounait pour caractere anatomique I'inflammation exanthe- 

 mateuse, puis ulcereuse, des folUcules intestinaux. (Andral.) 



19 



