118 



Dr. W. Stirling and A. Rannie. 



of the corpuscle into the nucleus, and so affecting the latter as to cause 

 it to shrivel up and thus to retreat from the mass of haemoglobin in 

 which it lies embedded. 



In its passage through the body of the corpuscle the fluid had 

 dissolved out a portion of the colouring matter of the corpuscle and 

 carried it into the nucleus, so that the latter had become tinged 

 with it. The nucleus generally retained its original position in the 

 corpuscle with its long axis parallel with that of the corpuscle. 

 Although apparently free in the haemoglobin, the nucleus was not 

 observed to change its position within its cavity. This may be 

 accounted for on the supposition that some of the intranuclear fibrils 

 pass through the envelope of the nucleus, and are in direct continuity 

 with some of the fibrils which form the stroma of the hull of the 

 corpuscle, and that these fibrils support the nucleus in the fluid by 

 which it is surrounded. The size and coloration of the corpuscles 

 were slightly diminished. 



To appreciate the full effect of the acid it is necessary to have two 

 views of the corpuscles, one on the flat and the other on edge. When 

 Viewed on the flat the shrunken nucleus can be seen lying within the 

 corpuscle, with a clear wide space, probably filled with fluid, lying 

 between it and the haemoglobin-charged stroma. On causing the 

 corpuscles to roll over, however, one observes that there is not only a 

 shrinking of the nucleus, but also a simultaneous expansion of that 

 portion of the corpuscle which lies immediately outside the nucleus, so 

 that on edge the corpuscles, instead of presenting the usual graceful 

 biconvex curves, suddenly bulge out in the centre, as represented in 

 fig- 3,/. 



A somewhat similar effect is described by Rollett* : — " The nucleus 

 appears to be not very sharply defined, but frequently shrivelled and 

 surrounded by an empty space, as though lying in a cavity of the 

 substance of the blood-corpuscle (chromic acid, hydrochloric acid, 

 nitric acid, picric acid, tannic acid, and concentrated tincture of 

 iodine)." No figures are given, but we find most certainly that these 

 acids yield more characteristic results than is conveyed in the above 

 description. Corpuscles exhibiting this peculiar change can be kept 

 for a considerable time. In some cases, just when the acid begins fco 

 act, a slight shrinking of the haemoglobin from the envelope of the 

 corpuscle can be seen. 



It is curious to note the very different effects produced by solutions 

 of the same acid — a 1 per cent, solution producing a general expansion 

 of the whole corpuscle, whilst the stronger solution causes only a 

 partial swelling up of one portion of the corpuscle, and a simultaneous 

 shrinking of the nucleus. 



* Op. cit, p. 399. 



