414 THE BLOOD, BY ALEXANDER EOLLETT. 



dified to a certain degree by the action of water (Kiihne, A. 

 Schmidt, Strieker). 



Moreover, an albuminous body, which still requires investi- 

 gation, has been termed fibrinoid by Hoppe, and fibrin by 

 Heynsius. 



L. Hermann and Hoppe have demonstrated the presence of 

 protagon, and Hoppe the presence of lecithin in the stroma of 

 the blood corpuscles. As a consequence of the presence of 

 haemoglobin they contain a variable quantity of oxygen, and 

 A. Schmidt has demonstrated the presence of carbonic acid in 

 them. In addition to these substances there still occurs a cer- 

 tain proportion of salts differing qualitatively from the mineral 

 matters of the plasma. 



THE COLOURLESS MORPHOLOGICAL CONSTITUENTS OF THE 

 BLOOD. Amongst these the white corpuscles of the blood de- 

 serve to be first mentioned. These were distinguished by Hewson 

 from the coloured, and the great majority are characterised 

 by the lively movements they are capable of performing * 



Max Schultze,f who has lately carefully investigated these 

 forms, distinguishes several kinds in human blood. First, round 

 cells, not attaining the size of the red blood corpuscles, com- 

 posed of a thin layer of cell substance, investing one or two 

 nuclei, which last are either spheroidal or flattened by mutual 

 compression. 



With these maybe associated other forms, equalling in size the 

 ordinary red blood corpuscles, and, like the former, possessing 

 nuclei. Lastly, finely and coarsely granular amoeboid cells are 

 met with, and various intermediate forms between them. 



In freshly drawn blood these last appear as more or less 

 rounded or irregularly shaped forms. At a temperature of from 

 35 to 40 C. (95 to 104 Fahr.) lively movements, resembling 

 the creeping motions of an amoeba, occur. "When the tempera- 

 ture, however, is raised above 40 C., the movements cease, and 

 the cells harden. 



* Wharton Jones, Philosophical Transactions, 1846. Davaine, Memoir e 

 de la Societe de Biologie, 1850, Tom. ii., p. 103. Lieberkiihn, Miiller's 

 Archiv, 1854, p. 11, et seq. 



t Archiv fur Mikroskop. Anatomie, Band i., p. 9. 



