ORGANISMS IN THE BLOOD. 



49 



excess of water in the blood [so that the blood is watery, constituting hydraemia]. Loss 

 of albumin from the blood is caused directly by albuminuria (25 grams of albumin may be 

 given off by the urine daily), persistent suppuration, great loss of milk, extensive cutaneous 

 ulceration, albuminous diarrhoea (dysentery). Frequent and copious haemorrhages, however, 

 by increasing the absorption of water into the vessels, at first produce oligsemia hypalbuminosa. 



For the abnormal changes of the red and white blood-corpuscles, see 10 ; for Haemophilia, 

 28. 



[Organisms in the Blood. The presence of animal and vegetable parasites in the blood gives 

 rise to certain diseases. Some of these, and especially the vegetable organisms, have the power 

 of multiplying in the blood. The vegetable forms belonging to the schizomycetes are frequently 

 spoken of collectively under the title bacteria. They are classified by Cohn into 

 I. Sphserobacteria. I III. Desmobacteria 



II. Microbacteria, exhibit movements. | IV. Spirobacteria 



These forms are shown in fig. 23. The micrococci (A) are examples of I. ; while Bacterium 

 termo (B) is an example of II. In III. the members are short cylindrical rods, straight 

 (Bacillus, D) or wavy (Vibrio, C). Splenic fever of cattle is due to the presence of Bacillus 

 anthracis (fig. 24). These rod-shaped bodies under proper conditions divide transversely and 



exhibit movements. 



Fig. 23. Fig. 24. 



A, micrococcus ; B, bacterium ; C, vibrios ; Bacillus anthracis from the blood (ox) in 



D, bacilli ; E, spirillum. splenic fever. 



elongate, but they also form spores in their interior, which in turn under appropriate" conditions- 

 may germinate (fig. 24). Class IV. is represented by two genera, Spirochseta and Spirillum 

 (fig. 23), the former with close, and the latter with open spirals. The Spirochseta Obermeieri 

 (often spoken of as "Spirillum") is present in the blood during the paroxysms in persons 

 suffering from relapsing fever. Amongst animal parasites are Filaria sanguinis, and Bilhama 

 Hiematobia, which occurs in the portal vein and in the veins of the urinary apparatus.] 



