Goulstonian Lectures on the Chemical Physiology of the Animal Cell: Delivered before the Royal College of Physicians of London
Authors: W. D. Halliburton
Journal: BMJ (1893)

COAGULATION OF TEE BLOOD.THE subject of blood clotting is one which has attracted the attention of physiologists from the earliest times, and many have been the theories advanced to explain this phenomenon.Since the discoveries of the late Dr. Wooldridge, it has been found necessary to distinguish between the coagulation of the blood which occurs outside the vessels, and that which may occur intravascularly.It is intravascular coagulation which I shall speak of chiefly to-day.In my researches on this sub- ject, I have throughout been helped by Mr. T. G. Brodie, M.B., Demonstrator of Physiologyr at King's College; and I owe him my deepest thanks for the care he has bestowed on the work.HAMMARSTEN's THEORY.Before giving an account of these experiments, it will, how- ever, be first necessary to refer to the work of others.I do not propose to go back to the older theories of blood coagulartion, but I will start where textbooks, as a rule, usually finish -namely, with Hammarsten's theory.Hammarsten's theory ,may still be regarded as the simplest working hypothesis we -have.Stated briefly, he considers that the coagulation of the blood is due to the decomposition of a substance called fibrinogen, which is dissolved in the blood plasma.This de- -composition is brought about by the agency of the fibrin fer- ment which is the product of the disintegration of the colour- less corpuscles.The most important product of this action is the comparatively insoluble material called fibrin. CELL GLOBULIN.My own work, some years ago, on the subject consisted in showing that these corpuscles contain or yield on disin- tegration, two globulins to which I gave the name of cell globulins.I spoke of these in my last lecture; one of them (cell globulin ,) was found to possess fibrinoplastic properties, and, in fact, is so similar to fibrin ferment, that I felt justified -in advancing the proposition that the ferment and the globulin were two names for the same thing.Such an observation did not by any means settle the question of blood coagulation, and at the time that I published my paper it appeared impossible to reconcile these views with those of Dr. Wooldridge.The work that has been published since that time has, however, done much to show that the two opposing theories, Hammarsten's and Wooldridge', are by no means irreconcilable, and I propose briefly to re- capitulate the chief papers that have appeared.W. L. Dickinson prepared cellglobulin , and in the main confirmed my observations regarding its properties.He. however, found that under certain circumstances it may be obtained without fibrinoplastic properties.For instance, after treatment with leech extract it may be deprived of its fibrinoplastic power without alteration in its physico-chemical -qualities.E. H. Hankin, approaching the subject from quite a different stand- point, found that cell globulin , has the power of killing certain pathogeni micro-organisms.The power is not possessed by fibrin ferment prepared in the usual way.The protective proteids or alexines are, ac- cording to this observer of the nature of cell globulin ,B.These two series oi investigations show that fibrin ferment and cell globulin are not absolutely identical.By far the most important researches, however, are those recently publifshed by Pekelharing, especially as it is to him that the credit is due of pointing out how diverging and con- tradictory views on the subject may be, to a great extent, reconciled.