146 



THE FLUIDS. 



with variations in its composition. It usually ranges between ^^ 

 and 3 ^ ou of an inch in the six fluids before named. Bowman re- 

 marks that these corpuscles are usually smaller in mucus than in 

 pus, and that they are also less distinctly granular; and Hassall 

 asserts that they are smaller in chyle than in lymph. In the blood 

 they are specifically lighter than the colored corpuscles, since they 

 both contain more fat, and are also deficient in the ferruginous 

 hasmatine. 



Cytoid corpuscles are also easily acted upon by extremely dilute 

 mineral acids, or moderately dilute solutions of organic acids (uric, 

 lactic, &c.) ; all of which render the nuclear matter more perceptible. 

 And since pus easily passes into the acid fermentation, on exposure 

 to the air, its previously invisible nuclei are at once thus rendered 

 apparent. Hence the "pus-corpuscle," so called, when observed, has 



been generally found to be more gran- 

 ular than the " mucus-corpuscle ;" and 

 the original simple nucleus is seen to 

 have divided into two, three, or more 

 vesicles, in which one or two granules 

 may be distinguished. (Fig. 93.) 



But the peculiar modifications un- 

 dergone by the cytoid corpuscle, in the 

 fluids just mentioned, will be more 

 particularly adverted to in connection 

 with each in detail. 



Fig- 93. 



Development of Gytoid Corpuscles. 



m r -i 111 j 



Tbe lj m pk, chyle, and 



Pus-corpuscles changed by acetic acid. 

 ..The irregular contour of the corpuscle 

 freed from the granules, leaving the blood-COrpUSCleS are Uniformly regard- 

 nuclei clear, t. Characteristic nucleus , . n 



without an 7 nucieoius. u. Free nuclei, ed as instances of free cell-develop- 



the walls having been destroyed. . ment ( 12 Q). ft ig probable that the 

 Remnant of contour. 



cytoid corpuscle is always so ; in pus, 



mucus, and exudations, as well as in the three fluids just mentioned. 

 It appears to be a general law that cytoid corpuscles are developed 

 in any fluid approximating nearly in composition to the blood- 

 plasma, since such a fluid contains their nutritive elements. The 

 latter, of course, exist in exudations ; and the relations to these of 

 pus, which will be pointed out in the following chapter, demonstrate 

 their presence in pus also. In mucus, the cytoid corpuscles are also 



