C 3° 3 ] 
XXXIII. On the Figure and Compofition of 
the Red Particles of the Bloody commonly* 
called the Red Globules. By Mr. William 
Kewfon, F. R. R. and Teacher of 
Anatomy .. 
Read June 17, rp'H E red particles of the blood ih; 
and 24, 1773. t h e human fubjebt have, fince 
the time of Leeuwenhoeck,been fo generally allowed 
to be fpherical, that in almoft all books of phyfio- 
logy they are denominated red globules. A few 
authors, however, have at different times doubted 
whether they were fpheres, and among!! the reft 
Father de la Torre, whofe curious obfervations,. 
together with his glaftes,. were prefented to the Royal 
Society, Anno 1766. As I flatter myfelf that I 
have made fome new obfervations on thefe parti- 
cles, I (hall do myfelf the honour of communicating 
them to the Society. 
It is a curious and important faft, that thefe par- 
ticles are found fo generally through the animal 
kingdom ; that is, they are found in the human 
fpecies, in all quadrupeds, in all birds, in all am- 
phibious animals, and in all fifh, in which animals 
they are red, and colour the blood. The blood 
even of infebts contains particles fimilar in fhape to-, 
thofe of the blood of more perfeft animals, but dif- 
