THE BLOOD. 53 



Mr. Jones will, however, be referred to more fully under the 

 head of the origin of the red blood disc. 



The white corpuscles are also synonymous with the " ex- 

 udation corpuscles " of many writers, and especially of Gerber, 

 who has under this denomination assigned to them a false 

 value ; the presence of the white corpuscles in the plastic 

 fluid of exudations being rather accidental than essential. 



We come now to refer to the opinion entertained respect- 

 ing the white corpuscles by Miiller, who denominated them 

 " lymph corpuscles" conceiving them to be identical with the 

 granular corpuscles encountered in the lymphatic fluid. Of 

 all the opinions and theories of the nature of the white cor- 

 puscles alluded to, that of Miiller is probably the only correct 

 one : Miiller, however, was not acquainted with their exist- 

 ence in the blood of mammalia, but merely in that of frogs 

 and other analogous animals. 



The opinion that the white corpuscles are red blood glo- 

 bules in process of formation is one which is maintained by 

 many observers, and nevertheless I regard it as erroneous. 

 In the truth of this view Wagner, Baly, Gulliver, Professor 

 H. Nasse, and above all Donne, are believers. From the 

 excellent work of the latter writer I introduce the following 

 remarks in relation to this point : 



" About two hours after injection (with milk), rabbits, dogs, 

 and birds have been opened. I have collected the blood in 

 the different organs, in the lungs, the liver, and the spleen ; 

 everywhere I have found the blood in the state in which I 

 have described it above, containing a certain number of 

 white globules in all stages of formation, and of red globules 

 more or less perfect : invariably the spleen has presented to 

 me special circumstances so established and so constant that 

 it behoves me to mention them, and especially since they 

 may throw light, at length, upon the true functions of this 

 organ, so long and so vainly sought. I do not dare flatter 

 myself with having completely resolved this problem, and it 

 is but with reserve that I express myself in this particular. 



" The blood contained in the large vessels of the spleen 

 offers nothing very remarkable ; but, in expressing that 



