AND ITS RELATION TO A'NIMAL LIFE 2Q 



least, cannot be adduced, as it would be 

 necessary to show that the blood was normal 

 prior to the appearance of the disease in a 

 particular individual, which is practically an 

 impossibility. With regard to the extent of 

 possible variation in the haemoglobin, and 

 the consequent capacity of the blood to per- 

 form its normal functions, I may quote Dr. 

 Waller, F.R.S., who says, in his Introduction to 

 Human Physiology : Composition of Blood in 

 Disease, p. 37, 38 



" The popular term ' poverty of blood ' is 

 accurately descriptive. The blood of an 

 anaemic person is not deficient in amount, 

 but it is weak blood, with an excess of water 

 and a deficiency of solids, and a low specific 

 gravity, 1,030 to 1,040. The number of red 

 corpuscles is deficient, and the amount of 

 haemoglobin in these is even deficient. Con- 

 trasting the blood of a healthy person with 

 that of a patient in extreme anaemia, there 

 have been found, for instance 



Proportion of water 88% instead of 80% 

 solids 12% 20% 



