DISEASES OFJCHfirrifeQOa^^ 89 



CHAPTER II.— DISEASES OF THE BLOOD. 



Section 1. — Non-specific Abnormal Conditions. 



The blood of the ox forms only ^^^th of the weight of his 

 body, that of the horse being estimated at jgth. Its red 

 corpuscles are larger (ox_, j^ mm. ; horse, yjy mm.), and 

 form a greater portion of the bulk of the blood, but do 

 not exhibit such a marked tendency to aggregate into rou- 

 leaux as is observable in the horse. The blood does not, 

 under ordinary circumstances, give a buffy coat on coagula- 

 tion. Fibrin-forming materials and fat are present in larger 

 quantity, water, albumen, and salines being less plentiful. 

 (See CoLiN^s ^Traitede Physiologic Comparee desAnimaux.^) 

 The vital fluid must be considered as a tissue, the red 

 corpuscles constituting its essential elements. These, 



® 



Fig. 15.— Red blood-globules, 

 from the nature of their duties as oxygen bearers, must 

 occur in a fluid medium, such as is the Liquor Sanguinis. 

 This Liquor Sanguinis consists of an albuminous solution 

 of salines of a most varied character, sufficing for the 

 supply of every requisite to any tissue in the body. Be- 

 sides the red corpuscles, colourless bodies or leucocytes are 

 found. They are independent cell-like bodies capable of 

 spontaneous motion, and of deriving their support from the 

 surrounding fluid. They become converted into the red 



