On the other hand, an increase of eosinophil cells associated with a chronic tumour of the spleen, is analogous to Kurloff's secondary reaction of the bone-marrow. Such cases are frequently found in the literature. For instance Mueller and Rieder bring forward three cases of splenic tumour caused by congenital syphilis, cirrhosis of the liver, neoplasm in the cranial cavity, and in which the numbers of the eosinophils amounted to 12.3%, 7.0%, 6.5% respectively. In three cases of acute splenic tumour in typhoid fever the figure 0.31% with a maximum of 0.82%, was found. These authors have already raised the question "whether the increase of the eosinophil cells is connected with the splenic tumour or the bone-marrow? Perhaps the functional activity of the latter is vicariously raised to meet the more or less complete exclusion of the spleen from the formation of the blood; since Ehrlich has distinctly asserted that the probable place of formation of the eosinophil cells is the bone-marrow." From what has been brought forward no doubt can now remain that the question has been decided quite in Ehrlich's favour. But what then are the physiological functions of the spleen, since that organ is unnecessary for the persistence of life? Doubtless its chief duty is the taking up of the greater part of the decaying fragments of red and white blood corpuscles in the blood-stream, so that this valuable material is not quite lost for the organism. Thus Ponfick has found that after destruction of the red corpuscles the spleen takes up a portion of their "shadows," and for this reason calls the splenic tumour a spodogenous splenic tumour ([Greek: spodos], ruins). Ehrlich has made a corresponding observation for the products of dissolution of the white blood corpuscles, and has proved that the splenic tumour which occurs in many infectious diseases and in phosphorus poisoning is to a large extent caused by the parenchyma of the spleen taking up the remains of the neutrophil protoplasm.