5 96 
DR. MARTIN BARRY ON THE CORPUSCLES OF THE BLOOD. 
extremity of the Fallopian tube, removed immediately after death, I have seen blood- 
corpuscles in some of the altered states still circulating-, or at least not quite at rest, 
within a blood-vessel. Hence it seems probable that the changes in question take 
place within the living body. 
5. The altered blood-corpuscles just referred to, at first retain their flattened form, 
as will be seen on reference to fig. 2, which exhibits a few of them on their edges, or 
nearly so. — It may here be stated that my observations corroborate those of previous 
observers, that the blood-corpuscles in the Mammalia are biconcave; yet with 
Hodgkin and LisTER-f-, I find them in Man to be rounded at the edges]:, and not cut 
off abruptly as they have been described 
6. If the elliptic discs surrounding the germinal vesicle in a number of the figures 
of my “Third Series” be examined, they will be found in many respects to resemble 
the corpuscle of the blood, which — it will be recollected— in some of the Vertebrata 
has an elliptic form ||. Now all the cells referred to in that Series, were described 
as presenting in an incipient state essentially the same appearance as the objects sur- 
rounding the germinal vesicle. They were shown to exhibit a pellucid space sur- 
rounded by a finely granular substance. 
/ . I am reminded of this state by the appearance of the unaltered blood-disc. And 
certainly the division into globules to which we have now traced the blood-disc, is 
very far from lessening the resemblance. 
8. A reference is here necessary to my “Third Series” on Embryology, /. c., 
Plate XXIV. fig. 192. The object there seen consisted of a central pellucid space 
surrounded by one layer of what later stages showed to have been the foundations of 
cells. And if that object be compared with some of the altered blood-corpuscles in 
Plate XXIX. fig. 2. of the present paper, the appearance will be found to be essen- 
tially the same in both. Whether the globules into which the blood-disc resolves itself, 
are the foundations of new corpuscles of the blood, I do not know; but it is certainly 
not unimportant that there exists so perfect a resemblance, in appearance, between 
two objects, the nature of one of which has been ascertained 1 ^. 
f Translation of Dr. Edwards on the influence of physical agents on Life, Appendix, p. 431. 
J; I am indebted to the kindness of Professor Rudolph Wagner for some plates, intended to accompany the 
second part of his “ Lehrbuch der Physiologie one of which, Tab. XIII., I observe contains figures of mam- 
miferous blood-discs, rounded at the edges; as does also his work, “ Beitriige zur vergleichenden Physiologie. 
Heft II. 1838.” 
§ Muller’s Physiology, translated by Dr. Baly, Part I., 1837. p. 89. fig. 1, 
|| The blood-corpuscles of some of the Amphibia present a curious resemblance to many of the elliptic discs 
figured in my “ Third Series” on Embryology, in the present volume. 
The condition of the blood-corpuscles above described (Plate XXIX. figs. 1 and 2.) is obviously that which 
was particularly observed, not only in very different mammals but also in one of the Amphibia, by Professor 
Owen (Med. Gaz. Nov. 13, 1839.). This eminent anatomist and physiologist has shown that the appearance 
in question presents itself in blood so recently drawn, that it cannot be considered as the effect of manipulation. 
It suggested to him “ the idea that the blood-disc was undergoing a spontaneous sub-division into smaller vesi- 
cles ; and although,” he proceeds, “ my observations are not at present sufficiently numerous to warrant the 
