On a function of the red corpuscles of the blood, and on the process of arterialization

• Published in: Abstracts of the Papers Communicated to the Royal Society of London
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1851
• Subjects: Carbonic acid
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspl.1843.0124; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspl.1843.0124

The author states that he was first led to the new theory he has formed for the explanation of the chemical phenomena of respiration, and more especially of the change in the colour of the blood which occurs in that process, by having observed that a garlick odour, similar to that evolved from phosphorus, was produced by agitating in distilled water the clot obtained from some specimens of venous blood. His attention was consequently directed to the investigation of the state in which the phosphorus exists in the blood; and the result of that investigation was the theory, of which the following is a succinct outline. The venous corpuscles are known to contain fat in combination with phosphorus. This compound ingredient of the corpuscles, on coming into contact with atmospheric oxygen during the respiratory act, is consumed, and combining with that oxygen, forms the carbonic acid and water which are expired, and also phosphoric acid, which, uniting with the alkali of the liquor sanguinis, forms a tribasic phosphate of soda. This salt, like many others, acts upon hæmatosine in such a manner as to produce the well-known bright arterial tint.