FIBKIXE. REMARKS. 95 



hyoscyamus, digitalis, and strong infusions of coffee and tea. (Car- 

 penter, Principles, &c., p. 195.) Carbonic acid also produces the same 

 effect. 



3. The addition to the blood of solutions of albumen, caserne, or 

 sugar, retards its coagulation. On the contrary, violent agitation 

 and a watery condition of the blood, and free access of the air, 

 hasten the coagulation. 1 



YIII. Fibrillation being the only distinguishing histological cha- 

 racteristic of fibrine, it is clearly unphilosophical to assume that an 

 amorphous mass of organic matter in the organism is fibrine, merely 

 because it is solid, as in exudations, in tubercle, &c. It is far more 

 probable that such masses are merely albumen, and not fibrine. It 

 has already been shown that it is not possible always to identify and 

 distinguish albumen and fibrine in their solid form. (p. 85.) Fibrils 

 alone demonstrate the latter; while their absence merely leaves the 

 inference probable that the substance is albumen, but proves nothing. 



IX. Since fibrine is indispensable to the original development of 

 the tissues, and to the reparative process, as it affords the matrix for 

 the new growth, all the agencies mentioned as interfering with its 

 perfect fibrillation are obstacles to these processes also. 



X. The fluid substance from which the tissues are directly formed, 

 or repair is secured, is called "plasma," "blastema," "hyaline sub- 

 stance," &c. It is, in fact, the liquor sanguinis, i. e. the whole blood, 

 except the two kinds of corpuscles. It was formerly called "coagu- 

 lating lymph" by Hunter and others. 



XI. The idea generally entertained, that fibrine is the only plastic 

 element of the blood, must now be received with suspicion. It is 

 merely the only spontaneously plastic or organizable element, and 

 the first organized the primum organizatum of the blood. 



XII. Since fibrine, by its coagulation, spontaneously arrests he- 

 morrhage from the smaller vessels, the hemorrhagic tendency in 

 purpura, scorbutus, and in some persons constantly, though in 

 health, seems due to a low vitality of the fibrine, or an insufficient 

 quantity. 



XIII. Finally, the "polypi," so called, which are often found in 

 the heart aftei^death, are mere masses of coagulated fibrine. 



1 It should be added here that Dr. B. W. Richardson, of London, has recently 

 received the Astley Cooper prize for his investigations, tending to demonstrate that 

 the fluidity of the blood (i. e. of ihejibrine') is due to the presence of free ammonia. 



