CHAPTER XIV. 

 BLOOD-CORPUSCLES. 



THE relative number of red disks to the colorless cells is said to 

 be, on the average, 350 to 1. This is true of the blood drawn 



Human Blood after death of the elements. The red corpuscles are seen 

 in different positions showing their shape, some also in rolls. Only one 

 white cell (w) is seen, misshapen and entangled in fibrin threads. 



from the fine vessels by puncture. While in the vessels the blood 

 must contain a greater proportion of the colorless cells, for by 

 the ordinary method of obtaining blood for examination, they do 

 not flow out of the punctured capillaries as readily as the red 

 disks ; and, moreover, many of them become disintegrated very 

 shortly after they are removed from the circulation. Although 

 the number of red disks normally alters but little, the relative 

 number of red to white varies very much on account of the con- 

 stant changes occurring in the number of the white. cells, which 

 has been found to differ according to the observer, the situation, 

 and other circumstances, as shown in the following table, which 

 gives the number of red corpuscles to one colorless cell. 

 Observer's estimate of normal proportion : 



Red. White. 



Welcker, 3351 



Moleschott, 3571 



In various parts of the circulation : 



Splenic vein, % 60 1 



Splenic artery, 2260 1 



