Unpublished paper, 'On a function of the red corpuscles of the blood on the process of arterialisation' by George Owen Rees

Description

Rees 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 garlic 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 following theory: 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. Rees concludes that this salt acts upon haematosine in such a manner as to produce the well-known bright arterial tint.

Annotations in ink throughout. Marked on front as 'Returned to the author 6 May; again received from him 20 May 1847 S H C [Samuel Hunter Christie]'.

Subject: Haematology

Received 29 April 1847. Withdrawn 9 March 1848.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 5 of Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society] as 'On a function of the red corpuscles of the blood, and on the process of arterialization'.

Reference number

AP/30/16

Earliest possible date

28 April 1847

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

22 pages

Format

Manuscript