Baxewetn.—On Inflammatory Action in dead Animal Bodies. 119 
In the vitreous itself, numerous leucocytes appear to exist, but I am not 
sure that they are formed in the substance of the vitreous, as they may be 
merely adherent to the portions examined. In the centre of the vitreous 
@ vein may be observed by the naked eye, ‘it is gorged with red corpuscles, 
but there were no leucocytes within it, nor surrounding it in greater num- 
bers than were to be found elsewhere.” 
The muscles show commencing fatty degeneration of the fibres. 
This is a very brief account of some of the changes that occur. Briefly 
the whole globe may be said to be in the first stage of acute inflammation. 
Portions of lung, treated in the same way, show swelling of the pleura ; 
the air cells gorged with leucocytes, and the lung no longer crepitant. 
If in any parts of the body subject to this process there are veins filled 
with blood, and visible to the naked eye, the corpuscles within them become 
shrunken, and much smaller. All the red corpuscles in the capillaries and 
smaller vessels disappear. My opinion, derived from hundreds of observa- 
tions, is that they dissolve when in vessels which contain only one or two 
rows, furnishing the material for the formation and growth of leucocytes.* 
The following experiment was a little variation from the plan usually 
adopted :— 
November 5th, 1880.—A kitten was killed by wringing its neck; its 
abdomen was opened, and about half an ounce of blood from another 
kitten, not defibrinated, placed in the cavity of the peritoneum, together with 
two eyes, a portion of liver, and a portion of lung from the other kitten. 
The animal was then wrapped in a warm cloth, placed in a Norwegian 
refrigerator previously heated, together with a bottle of hot water. It was 
then kept in a warm room for twenty-eight hours, the bottle being refilled 
with hot water three times. 
November 6th, evening.—It was evident from the smell that decompo- 
sition had commenced. The kitten was therefore taken out and exposed 
during a cold night. 
November 7th, morning.—The abdomen was opened. It was first’ 
noticed that every particle of the blood put in had disappeared from the 
Peritoneum. The bowels near that part which had been opened were 
rough and of a bright red colour; particles of what appeared like lymph 
were attached to the peritoneum in flakes; they were of a drab colour, 
and under the microscope were seen to consist of minute granular particles, 
bacteria and fatty matter ; not a trace of red or white corpuscles. 
* This is not the place for the indication of this opinion, but I have numerous 
notes of microscopical examinations, which may at some future time be published in sup- 
Port of the view here maintained. 
