On the coagulation of the blood: an elaboration of Lord Lister's hypothesis and the four-factor model of Morawitz.
It is postulated that ADP secreted by platelets is the physiological thromboplastin which initiates the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin and hence brings about the coagulation of the blood. The experiments which led to the formulation of the hypothesis are described. Experimental work compatible with the hypothesis is outlined. The implications of the hypothesis with regard to the modern cascade theory of coagulation are discussed.