310 CIRCULATING FLUIDS: 



Chlorosis. 



The blood in this disease possesses the general characters of 

 this fluid in anjemia. The clot is small, sometimes soft, but 

 frequently of the normal consistence : the serum is bright, 

 sHghtly coloured, and tolerably clear. The fibrin (separated by 

 whipping) is not so dense and consistent as in normal or in inflam- 

 matory blood. Its quantity is normal, or only slightly diminished, 

 while the amount of the corpuscles is considerably decreased, and 

 the solid constituents generally are less than in healthy blood. 



Golding Bird^ states, however, that the blood in chlorosis forms 

 just as solid a clot as in inflammatory diseases, and Jennings^ 

 observed even a huffy coat on the clot of chlorotic persons in the 

 absence of all inflammatory symptoms. He accounts for this 

 phenomenon by supposing that as, in chlorosis, the amount of 

 fibrin is normal, but that of the corpuscles much diminished, 

 the ratio of the fibrin to the corpuscles may be the same as in 

 inflammatory disorders. 



Andral and Gavarret state that the blood in chlorotic persons 

 forms a clot similar to the coagulimi in healthy blood, and that 

 a bufiy coat is not unfrequently observed on it. 



I found, on the contrary, that the clot in chlorosis was very 

 soft, and that the fibrin was not so firm as in inflammatory dis- 

 eases. These contradictions are easily explained by supposing 

 that the chemico-physical characters of the blood change during 

 the progressive development of the disease. "We can obtain a 

 more accurate knowledge of the stage of development of the 

 disease from the blood than from many other diagnostic signs. 



I am indebted to Dr. Vetter for the following specimen of 

 the blood of a chlorotic girl, which gave, on analysis, the fol- 

 lowing results : Analysis 32. Healthy blood. 

 Water .... 871-500 795-278 



Solid constituents 



Fibrin 



Fat 



Albumen 



Globulin 



Hsematin 



128-500 204-022 



2-080 2-104 



2-530 2-346 



79-820 76-660 



30-860 103-022 



1-431 6-209 



Extractive matters and salts 11-000 12-012 

 The ba;matoglol)ulin contained 4-42 of colom-ing matter. 



' Ancell, Course of Lectures, &c. The Lancet, 1840, p. 887. * Ibid. 



