248 
addition of water. Under this treatment I found that the 
cells which had been exhibiting amcebaform movements, 
soon assumed a spherical shape, rapidly enlarged until they 
reached the diameter of about — Vo-th of an inch, when the 
contained molecules began to revolve, and ere long took upon 
themselves the extremely rapid and confused movements 
which I had twice before seen in cells occurring in urine, and 
hundreds of times in the salivary corpuscles ; the action of 
aniline solution rendered beautifully distinct, definite nuclei 
similar to those found in the salivary bodies. 
The opportunity of corroborating the interesting and re- 
markable researches of Dr. Cohnheim, of Berlin, on the 
identity of the pus- and white blood-corpuscles thus obviously 
presenting itself, I proceeded with the following experiments. 
Drawing a drop of blood from the tip of my finger upon a 
“ growing slide,” I covered it with thin glass and placed it 
upon the stage of the microscope. After finding a white 
blood-corpuscle showing well-marked granules, I raised the 
objective, and arranged a fine filament of thread from the 
reservoir filled with fresh water to the upper edge of the 
cover, and a fragment of wet paper to the lower, according 
to the usual method for securing a constant current beneath 
the thin glass. On depressing the body of the instrument, 
and bringing the corpuscle again into view, I found it still 
adhering to the surface of the cover, notwithstanding the 
torrent of red globules hurrying over the field, and as these 
became paler and less distinct by reason of the diminished 
density of the serum, the white cell first gradually expanded 
and displayed its delicate Avail with tAvo rounded nuclei, then, 
after acquiring the magnitude of about T 7 ' 6 - 5 th of an inch, it 
exhibited the rapid and incessant movement of its contained 
molecules, and finally, when its diameter reached about 
-prVoth of an inch, it burst suddenly, discharging a portion 
of its contents, AA’hose outbreak resembled that of a swarm of 
bees from a hive, and some particles of which, actively revolv- 
ing as they Avent, SAvam off to the confines of the field. On 
repeating the observation and alloAving some of the aniline 
solution to floAV in Avith the water after the first feAv minutes, 
the nuclei were strongly stained and rendered beautifully 
distinct, although the movement of the molecules promptly 
ceased, in this respect as in all the others showing a precise 
identity with the reactions afforded by the pus- and the sali- 
vary corpuscles, as above described. It should be noted that 
a certain variable proportion of the Avhite cells of the blood 
thus treated exhibited no moving molecules, and apparently 
consisted solely of nucleus and cell-wall. 
