1 88 HAEMOGLOBIN. 
The Probable Relations of the Blood-Colouring Matter to 
the otheb constituents of the coloured corpuscles. 
Without encroaching upon the domain of histology, reference must 
be made to the two principal views which have been advanced in 
reference to the structure of the coloured corpuscles. 
According to the first, 1 which dates from the time of Bidloo, 2 "Wells, 3 
and Hewson, 4 and which was strongly advocated by Schwann, the 
coloured corpuscles of the blood are vesicular bodies, possessing an 
external envelope enclosing fluid contents. 
This view has been revived and strongly insisted upon by Schiifer, 5 
who briefl)" describes the structure of the red corpuscle in the following 
sentence: — "Each red corpuscle is formed of two parts, a coloured and 
a colourless, the former being a solution of haemoglobin : the latter, the 
so-called stroma, which is in by far the smaller quantity, being composed 
of various substances, chief among these being lecithin and cholesterin, 
together with a small amount of cell globulin." 6 
According to the second view, which, in its present form, we owe to 
Eollett 7 and Briicke, 8 and which for many years found general favour, the 
coloured blood corpuscle is not considered as vesicular, but as a viscous 
solid mass composed of a colourless, highly elastic framework, the stroma 
(Kollett) denser at the periphery than at the centre, in the interstices 
or trabecule of which haemoglobin and the other constituents of the 
corpuscles are contained. 
Without attempting to decide which of these views, if either, is the 
correct one, it is expedient to consider some questions bearing upon 
them, and towards the solution of which we possess important facts. 
Making for the moment the assumption which, as will be shown in 
the sequel, is denied by Hoppe-Seyler, that oxyhaemoglobrrj exists as 
such in the coloured blood corpuscles, the question arises, in what 
physical state does it occur? Is it simply dissolved in the liquid 
contents of the corpuscles, or is it dissolved in virtue of its being in com- 
bination with other constituents ? Is it in a solid condition '. and if so, 
is there any evidence as to whether its structure is crystalline or 
amorphous ? 
That the colour of the blood does not depend upon a simple aqueous 
solution of haemoglobin, is evident when we consider that the blood 
corpuscles are among the soft parts of the body which contain the least 
water:' 1 and that not only is the water which the coloured corpuscles 
contain altogether insufficient to hold the haemoglobin in solution, but in 
some animals, the haemoglobin of which is more sparingly soluble than 
1 A reference to and discussion of the earlier literature relating to this view will he 
found in Gamgee's "Physiological Chemistry," vol. i. p. 72. 
2 " Anatomia humani corporis, 1685," quoted hy Milne-Edwards, "Lecons, etc.," 
tome i. p. 66. 
3 "On the Colour of the Blood," Phil. Trans., London, 1797, p. 429. 
4 Hewson's Works, Syd. Soc. 
5 "Quain's Anatomy," 1891, vol. i. pt. 2, p. "210. 
6 Halliburton and Friend ; since shown to be a nucleo-proteid. — Editok. 
7 Sitzungsb. d. k. Akad. d. Wisscnsch., Wien, 1862, Bd. xlvi. Abth. 2, S. 73. 
8 Briicke applied the term Oekoid to the stroma, ibid., Wien, 1S67, Bd. lvi. Abth. 2, 
S. 79. 
9 According to Bunge, "Zur quantitativen Analyse des Blutes," Ztschr. f. Biol., 
Mtinchen, 1876, Bd. xii. S. 191, the blood corpuscles contain 36'7 parts of solids, and 63*3 
parts of water: muscular tissue contains about 25 percent, of solids, and 75 percent, of 
water ; nerves contain about 22 per cent, of solids, and 78 pur cent, of water. 
