CHEMICAL BASIS OF THE ANIMAL BODY. 69 



completely as possible from \vhit- <nrjm-.lt-> it canuot be made to 



dot in tin. u-ual way by the addition of water. 1 



In addition t<- the red ami white ci.r|-u>cles blood also contains, as 

 already -l.--i.Tit'. -d :hirl >tructural element, tin- 'j.lat. 



vend "I'M-rvere have end. -avoured tii connect t lie first cause of 

 the clotting of blood with some breaking down and di>aj>]>< ara; 

 these structures.* Th; as yet insufficiently supported, and is 



c -in hated by several observers; 3 bearing in uiind however how little 

 i> known about the origin and nature <>f th--t- platelet* tin- <jii.-ti..n 

 of tlu-ir relationship to blood-clotting must still be regarded as await- 

 ing a decisive answer. 



In addition to the undoubted relationship of leucocytes to 

 fibrin-formation it aj-jd-ars that the protoplasm of many other 

 iioth animal and vegetable, may exert an influence similar 

 :iat of the white corpuscles of blood. 4 



: u'.nil.d the leucocyte-, as entirely secondary and \ery 

 ictnrs in the process of clotting, as also the fil>rin-fer- 

 iiiij,' to hi* view Mood-plasma contains in itself all the 

 element > requisite for the formation of fibrin, which he cons id' . 



; no sense tin- outcome of any fermentative process. He described 



coagulable proteids A- - and (7-fibrinogen. The la>t of tlie-e 



- in minimal ijiiantities in plasma, is identical with the -ul>- 



ordinarily known as tihrino^en. and clots on the addition of 



fibrin-ferment. According to his \ lew clotting U due tn a tn 



f lecithin from it> conildnat in with A-UOnaOf/SD t> /y-!ilrino- 

 iiich means both the tibrinogens disappear and fibrin takes 

 their place.* 



information which we possess as to tin- nature of th- 



tU'rin-f.-nii'-nt is mm !i less complete and satisfactory than in tin* 



case of otlii-r .n/ym.-- Hut that il is proix-rlv plai-i-d in tin- class 



of tlu _ |_- _ -hown hy the typical facts that its activity 



_ ^y ili-]M'iideiit ni'on t<-iii|M-ra(iiie. hring ili-stroyi'ir '_ lu-at- 



i"njj_to Jti J ; that Li dM/s_jiot alTtM t tin- aniouiit but only tin- "fati* 



of r|ianov of filirino^'-n^Tnto t'j"''ii ; that it is can if<I* down l>y 



nous j.ivipii. it--; funii'-d in Hs solutions Hamni'-r<t-n). JTO- 



dm-fs a ' haiioy whi - h is out of all proportion to tin- mass of 



Pkifuol. Jahrj?. 1881, 8. 2fs II i->.-. ^aiO. 



i (1878), p. 

 ./ Pkyiial. 1878. p. 692. BilXox.T... Vir. IL.W'K Arrh. IM \ 



I'..! I XXXM 



low ' hKmatuli!.vt-> ' are identical with Binoirr tru.- 



hvmatoblaiu are the cell* described br Neumann. IHadfldach. and other* ai> 



F.i ..f.d.mf.l u t,loe.cit. Rchimroelboach, 



4 K.H i .Mlimnnn. rjMtf I -* I 



/ -nrf. 1886. l.adwi^'" Ft***rift, 1887. See alo 

 Halh 



