364 VITALITY AND EFFICIENCY WITH RESTRICTED DIET. 



BLOOD EXAMINATION. 



Although the morphological changes in blood observed for the 

 fasting man previously studied in this Laboratory^ were relatively 

 slight, it seemed desirable to secure certain evidence as to the blood 

 with the subjects of the low-diet research, so as to contribute in 

 every way possible to the general picture of the influence of a reduced 

 diet. Accordingly, through the kind offices of Dr. George R. Minot, 

 the services were enlisted of Miss Anna L. Gibson and Miss Myra 

 B. Conover, the expert technicians of the Collis P. Huntington Me- 

 morial Hospital. Blood counts were made on both squads when they 

 came to Boston for the biweekly experiments. 



Additional information regarding the possible effect of the diet upon 

 the blood is given by the fact that at no period throughout the test 

 did the subjects appear to the examining physician as at all anemic. 

 He saw them, however, only under artificial light. Dr. J. H. Kellogg, of 

 the Battle Creek Sanitarium, when at the Laboratory on the last day 

 of the research, thought the men appeared anemic. Professor G. B. 

 Affleck, of the International Y. M. C. A. College, who was one of the 

 coaches and instructors and saw the men in gymnasium suits and under 

 the best daylight conditions, also thought the men looked anemic. 



As was noted in the personal histories (see p. 49), one of the sub- 

 jects, Gul, donated blood for transfusions at the Springfield Hospital, 

 the amounts being on December 23, 100 c.c; on December 29, 50 c.c; 

 on January 6, 90 c.c; and on January 17, 50 c.c, making a total 

 amount of 290 c.c 



The data obtained from the blood examinations in this research are 

 given in tables 74 and 75. These values may be compared with the 

 statement of Loewy and Zuntz, who report "as a good sign" that in 

 their study on themselves the determinations made by the Plesch hem- 

 oglobinometer showed for both of them 110 per cent hemoglobin. 



For the interpretation of the large number of blood counts made by 

 Miss Gibson and Miss Conover, we are very much indebted to Dr. 

 Minot, who has been good enough to contribute the appended report : 



Boston, Mass., June 18, 1918. 

 The data on the blood examinations made by Miss Gibson and Miss 

 Conover, both expert technicians and nurses of the Collis P. Huntington 

 Memorial Hospital, show in general, I think, that both Squads A and B de- 

 veloped during the course of the experiment a definite, though slight to mild, 

 secondary anemia. In general, it is evident that both the hemoglobin and 

 red count are reduced, and the color index tends to be lower than normal. 

 (Eighty-five per cent or above for the hemoglobin is normal with the Sahli 

 instrument used.) These findings are very slight in some instances, and 

 quite marked in others, and more evident with Squad A than Squad B. In 

 certain instances it may be noted that instead of a progressively falling red 

 count, there occurs a slightly increased count following a previously lower 



1 Benedict, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Pub. No. 203, 1915, p. 148. 



