Microscopical Society of Victoria. 
11 
Bromal Hydrate . — Contents of red corpuscles corrugated and 
separated from cell wall, which appears thickened ; all this altered 
by action of prussic acid. 
Strong Nitric Acid. — The red corpuscles assume an oval form, 
and exhibit their contents condensed : able to take magenta, each 
corpuscle showing a clear space. 
Tincture of HammamelU .—With and without dilution ; red 
corpuscles emptied of contents according to their condition * some 
exhibiting granular contents, some corrugated ; some with one or 
more molecules, which are seen sometimes to move about within 
the cell cover ; wall of cover thickened ; some cells glued together. 
(20.) Results arrived at— 
White corpuscle a nucleated cell; cell wall dilateable; supposed 
to condense into nucleus and become thickened; able at early 
stage to separate by action of chemicals or poisons ; red corpuscle 
is the white corpuscle with its envelope firmly adherent; contents 
able to exude, or made to remain in cell covering; globular* 
during circulation, and becoming bi-concave when removed there¬ 
from by loss of watery or gaseous fluid ; hence the discoid form 
may vary as to diameter, according as the cell covering is fully or 
partially empty; hence measurements of corpuscles are uncertain 
standards as to nature of the blood, that is to a certain degree. 
With regard to the mode of using the different chemical agents, 
no positive rule as to quantity can be laid down. The use of the 
magenta should be moderate, as strong magenta darkens the field, 
and too much of a weak solution is apt to make a change from the 
large amount of water added to the blood. Note also, much 
difficulty attends the use of substances dissolved in rectified spirit, 
as this agent is apt to interfere with the proper action of the 
chemical experimented with. 
Some of these observations now date back more than sixteen 
years, as the leading points in this paper were published in 
1866. The following papers can be consulted, in which 
some of my experiments have been detailed—“ Observations 
and Experiments on the Effects of Prussic Acid on the Animal 
* Note.—T he spherical form of the red corpuscles can be seen in the 
mesentery ,of the mouse, and as soon as they escape take on the discoid form. 
