610 
G. H. DREW. 
Methods of Observing the Process of Agglutination 
of the Corpuscles. 
The plasmodial masses, formed by agglutination of the cor- 
puscles, can be produced by shaking the blood in a tube, or 
by stirring a drop on a slide with a needle, and can then be 
directly examined under the microscope. 
To study the exact process by which they were formed 
I employed the following method : 
Two extremely thin strips of plasticine were placed on a 
slide, inclined to each other at about an angle of 45°, and 
arranged so as to leave a very narrow opening between their 
convergent ends. A cover-slip was applied, and pressed firmly 
down, so as to prevent the escape of liquid under the bands 
of plasticine. A drop of blood can then be run under the 
cover-slip, and can only escape from the cell at the narrow 
end, though which it may be drawn with a piece of filter 
paper. In some experiments a few strands of cotton-wool, 
or glass-wool, were placed in the narrow opening, the fibres 
being arranged as far as possible parallel to one another and 
in the direction of the flow of the blood. Agglutination of 
the corpuscles occurs readily as the blood passes through the 
narrow end of the cell, and the process can be obsei’ved under 
the microscope. 
The way in which these agglutinated masses of corpuscles 
close the opening of a wound, and so stop haemorrhage, was 
studied by making small incisions in the foot when extended, 
and then fixing by immersing the whole foot in saturated 
corrosive sublimate, and finally cutting serial sections. 
