I04 



INFECTIOUS LEUKAEMIA 



highly refractory. They stain with eosin, and if the prepara- 

 tions are heated sufficiently they will retain certain of the aniline 

 dyes. The other class consists of round or nearly round cells 

 which take the blue stain feebly. Usually it is difficult to detect 

 the nucleus, although it is occasionally distinct. Between these 

 two types there are many varieties. The leucocytes containing 

 the spindle-shaped bodies appear to be the phagocytes as they 

 were the only ones which were observed to attack the red cor- 

 pu.scles. Bacteria have not been demonstrated in these cells, 

 although their presence has, in several cases, been suspected. 

 From the appearances observed in the red blood corpuscles it 



Fig. i8. The phai;ocytic action of the white blood corpusdes upon 

 the red ones in ease of advanced leukaemia. The changes represented 

 from I tog look place in 55 minutes. 



seems highl}' probable that phagocytosis plays a comparatively 

 large part in their destruction. Another hypothesis is also sug- 

 gested, namely, that a toxin produced during the multiplica- 

 tion of the specific organism has this effect on the red corpuscles. 

 In the fresh preparations we can observe the phagocytes attack- 

 ing the red cells. In the stained ones mutilated red corpuscles 

 and free nuclei are present. The hypothesis is suggested that 

 the leucocytes partially digest certain of the red corpuscles in 

 their attack upon them. Whether these changes are entirely 

 attributable to the phagocytes is still an open question. 



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