SUPPURATION 231 



by absorption and phagocytosis. The old analyses of pus-cor- 

 puscles by Hoppe-Seyler l are given in the following table : 



TABLE I. 

 Quantitative Composition of Pus-cells (in 1000 parts of the dried substance). 



i II 



Proteids 137.62 ) 



Nuclein 342.57 \- 685.85 673.69 



Insoluble bodies 205.66 J 



Lecithin \ 14000 75.64 



Fat } 143 ' 83 75.00 



Cholesterin 74.00 . . , 72.83 



Cerebrin 51.99 \ 10284 



Extractive bodies 44.33 / 



Mineral Substances in 1000 Parts of the Dried Substance. 



As abnormal constituents of the leucocytes contained in 

 abscesses may be mentioned glycogen, fat (from phagocytosis 

 and from " fatty degeneration " of the leucocytes), and " pep- 

 tone" (Hofmeister 2 ). 



Pus serum differs from blood-serum chiefly in the substances 

 added to it through the proteolytic changes that occur in the 

 pus. The fibrinogen that escapes from the vessels into suppu- 

 rating areas becomes so altered that pus will not coagulate, even 

 upon addition of fibrin ferment (defibrinated blood). The 

 reaction of the serum is usually slightly alkaline, becoming 

 strongly alkaline if much ammonia is produced, which occurs 

 especially if there is secondary infection with the organisms of 

 putrefaction. Sometimes, however, lipase derived from either 

 bacteria or from the cells causes the splitting of sufficient amounts 

 of fatty acids from the fats to make the reaction acid ; lactic 

 and other fatty acids are also sometimes formed. Presumably 

 the nature of the infecting organism will modify the reaction, 

 for some (e. g., staphylococcus) cause an acid formation in media, 

 while others (e. g., pyocyaneus) causes an alkaline reaction. 

 Hoppe-Seyler' s analyses of pus serum gave the following results, 

 which show no considerable deviation from the composition of 

 blood plasma, except in an increased proportion of fatty matter 

 and extractive substances. 



1 Med.-Chem. Untersuchungen. 2 Zeit. physiol. Chem., 1880 (4), 268. 



