Chapter II: Introduction: 1

DEFINITION. CLINICAL METHODS OF INVESTIGATION OF THE BLOOD 1

The quantity of the blood 2
Number of red corpuscles 4
Size of red corpuscles 12
Amount of hæmoglobin in the blood 13
Specific gravity of the blood 17
Hygrometry 21
Total volume of the red corpuscles 21
Alkalinity of the blood 23
Coagulability of the blood 24
Separation of the serum 24
Resistance of the red corpuscles 25

THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE BLOOD 27

A. METHODS OF INVESTIGATION 29

[alpha]. Preparation of the dry specimen 32
[beta]. Fixation of the dry specimen 34
[gamma]. Staining of the dry specimen 36
Theory of staining 37
Combined staining 38
Triacid fluid 40
Other staining fluids 41
Recognition of glycogen in the blood 45
Microscopic determination of the distribution of the
alkali of the blood 46

B. NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL HISTOLOGY OF THE BLOOD 48

The red blood corpuscles 48
Diminution of hæmoglobin equivalent 49
Anæmic or polychromatophil degeneration 49
Poikilocytosis 52
Nucleated red blood corpuscles 54
Normoblasts and megaloblasts 56
The fate of the nuclei of the erythroblasts 57
The clinical differences in the erythroblasts 61

THE WHITE BLOOD CORPUSCLES 67

I. NORMAL HISTOLOGY AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE WHITE BLOOD CORPUSCLES 71

The lymphocytes 71 The large mononuclear leucocytes 73 The transitional forms 74 The polynuclear leucocytes 75 The eosinophil cells 76 The mast cells 76 Pathological forms of white blood corpuscles 77 The neutrophil myelocytes 77 The eosinophil myelocytes 78 The neutrophil pseudolymphocytes 78 Stimulation forms 79

II. ON THE PLACES OF ORIGIN OF THE WHITE BLOOD CORPUSCLES 81

[alpha]. The spleen 84 [beta]. The lymphatic glands 100 [gamma]. The bone-marrow 105

III. ON THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE CELL-GRANULES, AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE 121

History of the investigation of the granules 121 Since Ehrlich. 123 Methods of demonstration 124 Vital staining of granules 124 The Bioblast theory (Altmann) 128 The granules as metabolic products of the cells (Ehrlich) 130 Secretory processes in granulated cells 134

IV. LEUCOCYTOSIS 138

Biological importance of leucocytosis 138
Morphology of leucocytosis 142
[alpha]. 1. Polynuclear neutrophil leucocytosis 143
Definition 143
Clinical occurrence 144
Origin 144
[alpha]. 2. Polynuclear eosinophil leucocytosis,
including the mast cells 148
Definition 149
Clinical occurrence 150
Origin 154
[beta]. Leukæmia ("mixed leucocytosis") 167
Lymphatic leukæmia 170
Myelogenous leukæmia 171
Morphological character 187
Origin 187

V. LEUKOPENIA 188

The blood platelets. The hæmoconiæ 190

INDEX TO LITERATURE 195

INDEX 209

PLATES