38 ORGANISED FLUIDS. 



elaboration, seeing that their structure agrees with that 

 which is generally possessed by true secreting cells. I 

 therefore myself would be inclined to attribute to the red 

 corpuscles but little influence over the constitution of the 

 blood. 



It may be stated that both Wagner * and Henlc are of 

 opinion that the red corpuscles are connected with secretion, 

 and the latter, in his " General Anatomy/' calls them 

 " swimming glandular cells." 



Effects of Re-agents. 



The blood globules arc much modified by the application 

 of numerous re-agents, and which, therefore, may be em- 

 ployed with advantage in their investigation. 



Serum. It has already been observed, that, in the serum of 

 the blood, their natural element, the globules preserve un- 

 altered, for a time, their normal form. 



Water. The application of water causes the globules 

 almost immediately to lose their flattened and discoidal 

 character, the depressions on their surface are effaced, and 

 they become spherical. This change in the form of the 

 corpuscles is necessarily accompanied by a diminution of their 

 size. (See Plate I. fig. 3.) 



Spirits of Wine, ^Ether, Creosote. The same results follow 

 the use of a variety of other liquids, as spirits of wine, aether 

 and creosote. These agents however, in addition, render the 

 globules exceedingly diaphanous, so much so indeed as that 

 they are often with difficulty to be discovered. In the globules 

 rendered thus transparent, no traces of granular contents can 

 be detected. 



Acetic acid. This preparation first deprives the globules 

 of their colouring matter, thus rendering them exceedingly 

 transparent, and subsequently dissolves the human blood 

 corpuscle, without residue, but not that of the frog, &c., the 

 nucleus of which remains entire. (See Plate II. fig. 5.) 



* Physiology, by Willis, part ii. p. 448. 



