SEROUS SECRETIONS. 179 



pregnancy. It is diminished (hypinosis) slightly in intermittent and 

 marsh fevers, and in pyaemia. 



2. The albumen of the blood is increased in plethora, in intermit- 

 tent fevers, after drastic purgatives, and in cholera. It is diminished 

 in simple ephemeral fevers (slightly), in severe inflammations, in the 

 later stages of typhus, in scurvy, malaria, puerperal fever, dysentery, 

 Bright's disease, and dropsy from organic affections. 



3. The extractive matters are increased in puerperal fever and 

 scurvy. 



4. The salts of the serum (and especially the chloride of sodium) 

 are increased in all cases in which the albumen is diminished (Schmidt) ; 

 hence in dysentery, acute exanthemata, Bright's disease, typhus, and 

 especially in dropsy. They are diminished in inflammation, and still 

 more so in cholera. 



5. The colorless corpuscles are increased in inflammation, leucae- 

 mia, and pyaemia, and after repeated losses of blood. 



6. The colored corpuscles are increased in plethora, in cholera, in 

 the first stages of heart-disease and the first eight or ten days of 

 typhus, and in marsh fever. They are diminished in violent in- 

 flammations, in dysentery, anaemia, the last stages of typhus, in 

 hydraemia, chlorosis, puerperal fever, acute exanthemata, Bright's 

 disease, carcinoma, and scurvy. Their specific gravity is increased 

 in cholera (to 1102.6), and diminished in albuminuria (to 1084.5) 

 and dropsy (to 1081.19). 



The number of the red corpuscles is also diminished by prolonged 

 fasting, and extreme losses of blood or of other fluids; while the 

 plasma becomes poorer in albumen and other organic constituents, 

 but richer in salts; the whole blood becoming much the same as in 

 anaemia. Similar results are, moreover, produced by substances 

 interfering with digestion, or the formation of blood, especially the 

 preparations of lead, acids, &c. 



CHAPTER II. 



SEROUS SECRETIONS, TRANSUDATIONS, AND EXUDATIONS. 



SECRETION implies a separation of certain elements from the 

 blood by the direct action of cells. It is, therefore, a vital action, 

 and not dependent on mere physical agencies. In the case of se- 

 creting membranes, the secreting cells always constitute an epithe- 

 lium upon its free surface. By the bursting of the secreting cells, 



