The invention relates to a method and to a device for examining the properties of the global, in particular the primary, hemostasis functions in whole blood or platelet-rich plasma, comprising a storage chamber (15) for the blood to be examined, a reaction device (39) having at least one flow path (5, 16) via which the blood to be examined is transported for carrying out certain reactions, a conveyor device (1) which conveys a volumetric flow for the transport of the blood through the reaction device (39), thereby generating a conveyor pressure, a pressure gauge (8, 9) which in a blood-free pressure gauge chamber (3) measures changes in the conveyor pressure which appear depending on the reactions of the blood to be examined which have taken place in the reaction device (39), a blood collection chamber (10) for collecting the blood transported through the reaction device (39), the conveyor pressure in a pressure-sealed working chamber (12) being generated by a piston-cylinder system (1), a working surface (33) of the piston (4) forming a boundary of the working chamber (12), and the working chamber (12) being formed by the blood collection chamber (10) and the blood-free pressure gauge chamber (3). According to the method of the invention, the volumetric flow is preferably adjusted, depending on the measured pressure of the volumetric flow, in such a way that the shear rate or the shear force, whose action in the reaction opening causes blood components, in particular thrombocytes, to deposit, follows a predetermined characteristic curve and in particular is held constant.