Manual of pathological anatomy / by C.Handfield Jones and Edward H. Sieveking edited by Joseph Frank Payne.

Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Manual of pathological anatomy / by C.Handfield Jones and Edward H. Sieveking edited by Joseph Frank Payne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    two channels be ejected ont of the system shows, on the supposition that it is derived from that of the red globules, how rapidly the latter must undergo decay; and, by consequence, how fast their reproduction must take place. It is worth remarking that one drug, the most commonly used, perhaps, of all—viz., mercury, seems to have almost as much tendency to cause the destruction of red corpuscles ns iron has to promoto their formation. PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE WHITE CORPUSCLES. An increase in the number of the white corpuscles has been observed in several morbid as well as physiological conditions. It will be instructive to consider first those variations which occur in a state of health. It is found that they are present in larger pro- portion after food has been taken, and are much diminished in number (as compared with the red corpuscles) by prolonged fast- ing. The maximum seems to be attained about half an hour after meals. A decided increase has been observed in pregnancy, and also during menstruation. After considerable loss of blood the proportion of white corpuscles is also greatly increased; and the same thing has been observed in several diseases both acute and chronic. Among the former must be mentioned inflammations in general, and especially those of the lungs; typhus and typhoid fever; ague, and many so-called pyremic conditions, as well as more especially puerperal fever. Several of these cases have been described as cases of the occurrence of pus in the blood. According to other authorities, in many long wasting diseases a disproportionate number of white corpuscles may* be seen; but in such cases (as in some which have fallen under the observation of the editor) it is quite impossible to distinguish between an increase in the white corpuscles and that diminution in the red of which the general pallor and anamiia give evidence. This is, however, by no means true of the remarkable disease called leuchcemia or leucocythcemia, to which we shall recur presently. The moderate increase now spoken of has been termed leucocytosis. There does not appear to be any positive instance of diminution of the colourless corpuscles. PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF THE LIQUOR SANGUINIS. This fluid consists of a watery solution of certain inorganic salts, in which there are besides dissolved a large proportion of organic substances. These are distinguished into fibrine, albumen, extract- ive matter, and oil. We shall consider each of theso separately. When fresh-drawn blood is loft to itself it very soon, as we know, passes from a liquid state into that of a solid mass—it coagulates. This chango can bo conclusively shown to be occa-