192 



THE FLUIDS. 





however, than forty-eight hours is required for its development in 

 case of wounds ; and more frequently at least seventy -two to ninety- 

 six hours elapse before suppuration is established in case of surgical 

 operations in adults. It is, however, more promptly established in 

 children, and in the warmer season of the year. 



Genuine pus is a bland fluid, and does not dissolve the tissues in 

 contact with it; but only destroys their vitality, if at all, by pressure. 

 It is thus that the articular cartilages may die in case of suppuration 

 in bone in contact with them. Morbid pus, however (sanies, &c.), 

 is highly corrosive, and rapidly dissolves the tissues. Decomposed 

 pus may also produce the same effect. 



It is not necessary here to speak of the pathological conditions of 

 pus, any further than to remark that the pus-corpuscles (like all 

 other cytoid corpuscles) are liable to fatty degeneration; strongly- 

 defined fat-globules appearing within them, as in Fig. 105. The 

 serum also then contains more fat than usual; and finally the cha- 

 racters of the pus-corpuscles are lost, only scattered molecules re- 

 maining in their stead. 



In connection with pus, Wedl mentions a peculiar histological 

 element, occurring most frequently and in the greatest abundance 

 in the sputa of pneurnonitis. It is a finely-granular globule, Y^^ 

 to gQ 1 ^ of an inch in diameter, with a sharply-defined cell- wall of 

 a yellowish or yellowish-brown color, sometimes containing scat- 

 tered pigment-granules, and entirely destitute of a nucleus. Fig. 

 107 shows four of these bodies, mixed with pus-corpuscles and 



Fig. 107. 



Fig. 108. 



Granular globules (sterile cells), without nuclei, in the 

 grayish-yellow sputa of pneumonitis. The smaller cells 

 are pus-corpuscles, and the lines represent filaments of 

 mucosine. The sterile cells are filled with occasionally 

 pigmented contents. (Magnified 350 diameters.) (Wedl.) 



Sputa of acute pneumonitis, containing 

 fibrinous casts of the. minute bronchial 

 tubes, large cells filled with oil-globules, 

 and finely-granular cells resemblingpus- 

 corpuscles. 



filaments formed by the mucosine from the sputa above mentioned. 

 They may perhaps be abortive glomeruli or granule-masses, and 

 hence Wedl terms them "sterile cells." Another form of sputa in 



