Resorption of the formed elements 



99 



We have said that in the living animal the macrocytase is localised 

 the phagocytes of the organs and of the blood. Thus, when goose's 

 )lood is injected into the peritoneal cavity of the guinea-pig the red blood 



jrpuscles are digested within the macrophage and not in the fluid of 



le peritoneal exudation. When, however, the same kind of blood is 



yected a second or a third time, it is found that a certain number of 

 Ihe red corpuscles become permeable and lose their haemoglobin, which 

 fhey give up to the fluid of the exudation, and only the membrane and 

 the nucleus remain. These are at once ingested by the macrophages 



rhich under these conditions manifest a real excess of activity. In- 

 stead of sending out small processes, as they do after the first injec- 

 bion of blood, these phagocytes move about like true Amoebae, sending 

 )ut broad pseudopodia, and ingest not only the remains of the red 



)rpuscles but also those still intact^ (Fig. 20). Under these con-[i06] 



litions macrocytase must undoubtedly 



»e found in the peritoneal plasma. 

 [t is, however, easily demonstrable that 

 bhis ferment was not performed in the 



luid but has escaped from the leuco- 

 cytes that have undergone phagolysis. 

 After the rapid injection of alien blood 

 the phagocytes of the peritoneal lymph 

 gather into clumps, become immobile, 

 and for a time lose their phagocytic 

 power. It is only after the lapse of a 

 longer or shorter period that the leuco- 

 cytes recover from the phagolysis, arrive 

 in great numbers in the peritoneal cavity 

 and display their phagocytic energy. 



If the damage to the phagocytes — the phagolysis — is the actual 

 cause of the setting free of the intraleucocytic ferment, we have 

 only to prevent this phagolysis in order to inhibit the solution of 

 red blood corpuscles in the fluid of the exudation. For this purpose 

 it is sufficient to prepare guinea-pigs (which have already received 

 several injections of goose's blood) by means of an injection of fresh 

 broth, of physiological salt solution, or of carbonic acid into the 



1 Sawtchenko {Arch, russes de Path., etc., St Petersb., 1901, t. xi, p. 455) has 

 observed that leucocytes, after they have absorbed the specific fixative, acquire the 

 property of ingesting red blood corpuscles with extraordinary rapidity. Tarassewitch 

 was able to contirm this fact. 



7—2 



Fig. 20. — Eapid ingestion of 

 red corpuscles of the goose 

 by macrophages. 



