Leukosin : a new substance found in the blood of leukamia : also a description of another crystalline body found in the vomitus / by James C. White.

  • White, James C. (James Clarke), 1833-1916.
Date:
[1859?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Leukosin : a new substance found in the blood of leukamia : also a description of another crystalline body found in the vomitus / by James C. White. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    Leukosin. ^ mal blood is 1055), that tho volume of water is increased; and the solid matter diminished. This at first sight seems hardly probable, when we remember the enormous amount of coagula found distending the heart and vessels after death, but at the same time it proves that the colorless corpuscles must contain a relatively trifling amount of solid matter. With the decrease of the red corpuscles the iron is also found 'to be proportionally dimin- ished. According to the analysis quoted by Bennett, the fihrine in this disease is considerably increased; but more reliable investi- gations show that this substance, as well as the albumen and the salts of the serum, remain in their relatively normal proportion. Bj far the best analysis yet made of the blood in leukamia is that of Scherer, who had previously discovered the presence of hypozanthin in the spleen. He obtained the following results from the examination of the blood of a subject dissected by Vir- chow himself. Quantitative. Water, 791.7 C Organic constituents, 197.300 Solid matter, 208.3^ ^Iron, 0.298 (Inorganic 11.084 < d Earthy phosphates, 0.598 Submitting it to a thorough investigation, he made the interesting discovery.that formic, lactic and acetic acids were present, toge- ther with hypozanthin and gluten. Hypozanthin is a substance closely allied to zanthic oxyd and uric acid, and its presence in the blood in connection with the frequent urinary deposit of the latter in this disease is well worthy of note, and may prove a valuable diagnostic sign. It is with reference to these important discoveries of Scherer that I have brought this subject before the Society, in order to make known the presence of another new principle in the blood of leukamia. The specimen given me for examination was a dirty reddish- brown color, and had a conserve-like density, the upper parts of the coagula being in spots marked by white concretions of the colorless corpuscles. It was very slightly acid, and had a fishy odor, although no decomposition had taken place. On microscopic examination, in addition to the usual appearance of red and color- less corpuscles, &c., numerous minute crystals were noticed, such as I had never seen before. In the blood removed from the cavi- ties of the heart, the large vessels, and from the spleen, they were very abundant, while the portal circulation contained fewer. In a large exudation, or abscess, situated in the cellular tissue be- neath the left axilla, none were observed, although in other re- spects its microscopic characteristics closely resembled those of the blood. The crystals, unfortunately, are of the same specific weight as the white corpuscles, and therefore cannot be isolated for a separate analysis. They are colorless, transparent, and appear to be faintly-mark-