50 Dr. BealEj on the Germinal matter of the Blood, 
maining alive,, being placed under favorable conditions, 
would grow, and soon a mass of germinal matter like the 
original one would result, and in this, new nuclei would 
appear. 
Absorption of inanimate formed material by living germinal 
matter. 
The germinal matter of the frog^s blood- corpuscle may- 
grow if the corpuscle be still ; and as the outer formed mate- 
rial becomes softened, this may be taken up, just as the 
formed material of a cell of epithelium, or that of cartilage 
or bone, may be removed, and (at least in great part) be con- 
verted into living matter, by the germinal matter in these tis- 
sues, in the process called inflammation*^ The^living matter 
in all these cases being much more freely supplied with 
nutrient matter than in the normal state, grows faster, and 
at the expense of the very material it has already formed. 
The white blood-corpuscles of the frog grow and increase 
under the same circumstances. The white blood- corpuscles 
of man exhibit similar phenomena. That they absorb nu- 
trient matter when stationary seems to be proved by the 
channels which converge towards each mass of living matter, 
as may be seen in a very thin coagulum covered with thin 
glass, two or three hours after coagulation. 
Increase of white corpuscles in vessels in inflammation and 
in clots. 
The absorption of nutrient material by the corpuscles, 
their growth, and subdivision, are, of course, favoured by the 
slower movement of the fluid in which they are immersed. 
As would be supposed, the multiplication of these bodies 
takes place to the greatest extent where the circulation is 
slowest. In the spleen the conditions are specially favorable 
for the growth and multiplication of white blood- corpuscles. 
The process also occurs, but to a less extent, in the large 
capillaries of the liver. If in any capillaries of the body the 
circulation is retarded from any cause, an increase in the 
white blood-corpuscles invariably takes place. In congestion 
and inflammation of the vessels of the frog's foot, the number 
of white blood-corpuscles soon becomes so great as to impede 
and ultimately to stop the circulation through the vessel. 
Although the great majority are merely corpuscles that have 
