Health: Histology of the Blood(Annotated)

CONTENTS.
PAGE
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

INTRODUCTION.
DEFINITION OF ANÆMIA. CLINICAL METHODS OF INVESTIGATION OF THE BLOOD.
In practical medicine the term "anæmia" has not quite the restricted sense that scientific investigation gives it. The former regards certain striking symptoms as characteristic of the anæmic condition; pallor of the skin, a diminution of the normal redness of the mucous membranes of the eyes, lips, mouth, and pharynx. From the presence of these phenomena anæmia is diagnosed, and according to their greater or less intensity, conclusions are also drawn as to the degree of the poverty of the blood.
It is evident from the first that a definition based on such a frequent and elementary chain of symptoms will bring into line much that is unconnected, and will perhaps omit what it should logically include. Indeed a number of obscurities and contradictions is to be ascribed to this circumstance.
The first task therefore of a scientific treatment of the anæmic condition is carefully to define its extent. For this purpose the symptoms above mentioned are little suited, however great, in their proper place, their practical importance may be.
Etymologically the word "=anæmia=" signifies a want of the normal =quantity of blood=. This may be "general" and affect the whole organism; or "local" and limited to a particular region or a single organ. The local anæmias we can at once exclude from our consideration.
À priori, the amount of blood may be subnormal in two senses, quantitative and qualitative. We may have a diminution of the amount of blood--"=Oligæmia=." Deterioration of the quality of the blood may be quite independent of the amount of blood, and must primarily express itself in a diminution of the physiologically important constituents. Hence we distinguish the following chief types of alteration of the blood; (1) diminution of the amount of Hæmoglobin (=Oligochromæmia=), and (2) diminution of the number of red blood corpuscles (=Oligocythæmia=).
We regard as anæmic all conditions of the blood where a diminution of the amount of hæmoglobin can be recognised; in by far the greater number of cases, if not in all, Oligæmia and Oligocythæmia to a greater or less extent occur simultaneously.
The most important methods of clinical hæmatology bear dir