ON THE CHEMICAL EFFECTS OF CHLORAL HYDRATE, ETC. 127 
There are one or two more experiments to which I must 
refer, i. e. the chloroformed rat, in which the blood was noticed 
to be reddish, but scarcely any red matter was seen. It would 
appear the chemical condition of the blood is not capable of 
readily decomposing chloroform; such also is the case, I 
believe, with hydrate of chloral applied to the blood out of 
the body; but when the vapour of chloroform or the hydrate 
of chloral is applied, then the red particles make their ap¬ 
pearance. 
Here is another remarkable occurrence which receives its 
solution from the forementioned experiments. Some blood 
was accidentally examined after wine (Reisling) had been 
taken; this was with the view of exhibiting the action of 
prussic acid on iron in the blood; but it was noticed little or 
no reaction could be found after its application; but a good 
many red-coloured globules and particles were seen, just as if 
chloral had been taken. In consequence of this, a small 
drop of the wine was added to a little blood fresh drawn; the 
changes seen under the microscope were most remarkable. 
Abundance of globules of a dark red or brown colour made 
their appearance, as also red amorphous masses or particles. 
Gas also was given off in the neighbourhood of the globules. 
Some of these bubbles contained a bluish fluid; the nuclei of 
the white corpuscles were bluish. 
The experience I have already gained in carrying out these 
experiments leads me to see that the condition of the blood 
recognisably varies from day to day, from the effects of food, 
&c.; for the varying degrees of success which have attended 
a number of experiments performed with the same chemical 
agent, on the same individual, point to the great probability 
of the variable condition of the blood, when that individual 
has been the subject of variety in diet, or degrees of fatigue 
of mind or body. 
Another consideration which presents itself to my mind is, 
that just as we now test the condition of the urine in order to 
ascertain what is being eliminated from the body of a patient, 
so will the physician find it useful occasionally to test, by 
means of reagents, the condition of the blood of his patient, 
in order to verify the character of some obscure symptoms. 
Even at this period of my experience 1 have reason to believe 
it is possible, by means of agents previously administered, to 
prolong the hypnotic action of chloral, or to prevent or modify 
it in a great degree. 
Thus, I believe, I have at least been able to give demon¬ 
stration to the theory of Liebreich, who, by his chemical 
knowledge, has enabled the medical practitioner to employ a 
