Bakewell. — On the Red Corpuscles of the Blood. xxxi 





Observations on the Growth and Reproduction of the Red Corpuscles of the 

 Blood. By Robert H. Bakewell, M.D. j communicated by Dr. Hector 



to the "Wellington Philosophical Society, 



Plate 



growth 



corpuscles of the blood. The recent discovery 



thrown 



hypotheses 



in 



physiology, to show that nothing certain is known of the matter. The red 

 corpuscles of mammalia are somewhat of an anomaly in the body. Bearing 

 the outward form of cells, having many of the properties of cells, yet destitute 

 of a nucleus, and springing into being as it were without any certain parentage, 



been the crux 



think 



and 



growing 



the course of observations made on the virus of small pox in the year 1871-72. 

 The writer was at that time physician to the Small-pox Hospital in Port of 

 Spain, Trinidad, and, having taken up his residence at the hospital for the 



pathology of the disease 



in 



taken 



commonly employed for vaccine lymph. These, when filled, were 



the writer's room for microscopical examination. It was not long before he 



difference 



after 



room 



interval of a few hours. It was found that up to a certain point the same 

 series of changes which the matter undergoes when in contact with the 

 patient's body in the variolous vesicle would take place in a sealed tube in his 



This room was in a roughly-built wooden house exposed without shade 

 tropical sun, and having an iron roof. The temperature was generally 

 nearly all day, and rarely below 70° all night. Some account of these 

 nents will be found in papers on the "Pathology and Treatment of 

 Pox," published in the < Medical Times and Gazette' of 1872, and 

 reprinted as a pamphlet. The subject has engaged the writer's attention, and 



Small 



he has been engaged in experimen 

 ever since. As these experiments 



