Page:Structure and functions of the body; a hand-book of anatomy and physiology for nurses and others desiring a practical knowledge of the subject (IA structurefunctio00fiskrich).pdf/126

 the function of amœboid movement by which they not only wander from place to place in the blood, keeping close to the sides of the vessels, but pass through the walls of the capillaries, probably between the cells which form their lining, into the lymph spaces. This is known as migration of the white corpuscles. In inflammation they collect in the inflamed area to assist in allaying the inflammation by absorbing and carrying off its products. For they carry waste products and destroy poisons, acting as scavengers and protectors of the body. When they are unsuccessful and the inflammation gets the better of them, they become pus corpuscles.

Besides the corpuscles there are seen floating in the blood small disk-like substances with no special characteristics, the blood plaques or plates, whose function is unknown.

In anemia the red corpuscles are diminished and the white corpuscles and blood plaques increased in number. After excessive bleeding normal salt solution is injected, subcutaneously or by rectum, as being nearly equivalent to blood serum in composition, and the renewal of the solid elements is left to time. The length of time needed for their restoration is about a week, except in the case of the hemoglobin, which takes longer.