150 
EAllLV STAGES OF INFLAMMATION. 
iritated parts uncomplicated by the effects of rapid move- 
ment. A series of experiments, conducted in this way, con- 
firmed the conclusion previously arrived at, that the accumu- 
lation of the blood-corpuscles was simply the result of their 
abnormal adhesiveness. At the same time these experi- 
ments brought out the remarkable fact, that mere quiescence 
of the blood does not give rise to aggregation of the red cor- 
puscles within the vessels, unless the tissues are in an un- 
healthy condition in consequence of irritation. It further 
appeared that the corpuscles never exhibit greater adhesive- 
ness within the vessels of an inflamed part, than do those of 
blood from a healthy part when drawn from the body. Also, 
the well-known adhesiveness of the white corpuscles within 
the vessels does not occur, according to the author, unless 
some degree of irritation is present, and never exceeds that 
which is always seen in blood outside the body. Hence the 
inference is drawn, that the tissues of a healthy part exert 
an influence on the blood in their vicinity, by means of which 
the corpuscles, both red and white, are preserved free from 
adhesiveness ; but that in an inflamed part this influence is 
more or less in abeyance. 
This view has been confirmed by observations made on the 
wing of the bat. 
Also the comparison of drops of blood from healthy and 
inflamed parts in the human subject showed, that so soon as 
the blood was withdrawn from the vessels, the corpuscles of 
the former presented precisely the same degree of adhesive- 
ness as those of the latter. 
At the commencement of Section IV. 6S On the state of 
the tissues in inflammation,” it is stated that i( the conclusion 
arrived at in the latter part of the last section, that blood 
flowing through an inflamed part behaves itself in the same 
way as when separated from the living body, naturally leads 
us to infer that the tissues of the inflamed part are in some 
degree approximated to the condition of dead matter, or, in 
other words, have suffered a diminution of power to dis- 
charge the offices peculiar to them as components of the 
healthy animal frame. This inference is strongly supported 
by considering what common effect is likely to be produced 
upon the tissues of the frog’s web by all the various agents 
known to cause inflammatory disturbance of the circulation.” 
It is then pointed out that all these agents, though differing 
greatly in their nature, agree in their tendency to inflict a 
lesion on the part to which they are applied, and impair the 
functional activity of the tissues. “ But strong as are the 
arguments thus obtained by inference, it would be very de- 
