72 Messrs. Dudgeon and Wilson. On the Presence of [Sept. 11, 



by Hutchison and Panton.* This investigation was undertaken with the 

 idea that the red cells under various pathological conditions would show wide 

 variations in their susceptibility to saline solutions, more especially in such 

 diseases as pernicious anaemia and the severe septic infections. 



Technique. — In all cases a standardised 1-per-cent. solution of sodium 

 chloride was made up in fresh distilled water, and from this solution various 

 strengths of sodium chloride were added to small glass tubes arranged in 

 series, in equal volumes ; usually the first tube contained 1 per cent, sodium 

 chloride, and the last O'l per cent. The blood was obtained from the 

 patient's thumb under light pressure in the same capillary tube as was 

 employed for making the saline dilutions. Each tube contained, therefore, 

 10 equal volumes of saline, and one volume of blood amounting to 1/llth of 

 the total. The whole was mixed thoroughly and allowed to stand at room 

 temperature ; no advantage was derived either from storing at 37° C, 

 or in ice. 



As already stated, most interesting results were obtained in two cases of 

 congenital cholfemia ; here hccmolysis occurred in a solution of sodium chloride 

 up to 0 6 per cent. 



In one case of virulent erysipelas a similar result was obtained, but 

 otherwise the blood in various pathological conditions showed little variation 

 from the normal, that is to say, luemolysis was prevented in a mixture 

 containing 0 4 per cent, sodium chloride, and a positive reaction occurred in a 

 0'3-per-cent. solution. 



In all these experiments, with the exceptions referred to, the susceptibility 

 of the red cell fell within tbe limits of the normal, and no further informa- 

 tion could be obtained although the technique was modified in various ways, 

 such as washing the red cells and adding sodium citrate in definite propor- 

 tions, and working with a neutral lluid. 



Phagoeytosis. 



In this report numerous experiments have been completed concerning 

 bacterial phagocytosis. In the first sericis of experiments the serum and 

 leucocytes obtained from ap])arently healthy persons were comi)ared as to 

 tlioir respective activity. In every instance strains of the Baeilhia cold or 

 the Staphylococcus aureus were em])loyed ; and the num])er f)f leucocytes 

 was approximately the same in tlic various siuni)les of blood. Other 

 observationB were made by comparing the ininnino serum from different 

 diseases with normal leucocytes obtained from apparently healthy people, and 



* 'The QiiaitPiiy .loiirnnl of Mfdiciiie,' .July, lOOI). 



