264 Fibrin-yielding Constituents of Blood Plasma. [Apr. If), 



does give a considerable clot with serum or ferment alone, and such a 

 plasma gives a dense clot at 56°, whether the substance removable by 

 cold be present or not. 



Now it is a well known fact that the injection into the veins of a 

 strong solution of fibrin ferment, prepared in the ordinary way, is very 

 rarely followed by any serious thrombosis. The same is true of defi- 

 brinated blood, and this is quite in conformity with the results I 

 have described above. 



This note is only a slight addition to the results I have already 

 obtained in the coagulation question, and I am actively engaged in 

 pursuing the subject. 



I wish to take this opportunity of making a few statements with 

 regard to the action of lecithin in producing coagulation. I have 

 already shown that lecithin is an important factor in the coagulation 

 of the blood. Since these publications,* my observations have only 

 tended to completely confirm the statements I have already made, and 

 I have in addition found that lecithin from the most varied sources, 

 and lecithin prepared from the platinum salt, is perfectly active. The 

 sources which have yielded an active lecithin are lymph glands, blood, 

 testis, brain, yeast. Moreover, I have found that it exerts its influence 

 on other varieties of plasma besides those which I have already quoted, 

 viz., peptone plasma and cooled plasma. As to its exact mode of 

 action I am not yet certain. It no doubt gives rise to the appearance 

 of a large quantity of fibrin ferment, as was described in my note 

 " On the Origin of the Fibrin Ferment," but I have reason to think 

 that it has a further action. 



The majority of the experiments on which the above paper has 

 been founded, were carried out at the laboratory of the Brown 

 Institution. 



* " Further Observations on the Coagulation of the Blood," " Journal of 

 Physiol.," 1883; "On the Coagulation of the Blood," "Journal of Physiol.," 

 1884 ; " On the Origin of the Fibrin Ferment," " Proc. Roy. Soc.," 1884. 



