EFFECTS ON THE BLOOD 257 



anemia in chronic asphyxia. Martin, Loewenhart and Bunting ('18) obtained a 

 progressive hyperplasia in the red marrow of the long bones in rabbits, which 

 probably represents a compensatory hypertrophy of the hemopoietic tissue. 

 The literature on oxygen deficiency is reviewed by Morgulis ('23). 



Vitamin Deficiency. — The effects of a deficiency in vitamin A upon the blood 

 appear slight. Hess and Unger ('19) found no anemia in 5 infants fed 8 or 9 

 months on a diet deficient in vitmin A. Cramer, Drew and Mottram ('21a) 

 and Happ ('22) likewise observed no anemia in rats with diets thus deficient. 

 Cramer, Drew and Mottram ('22), however, noted a progressive decrease 

 in the number of blood platelets (thrombopenia) in the rat. Bedson and 

 Zilva ('23, '23a) failed to confirm this, finding no marked decrease in the 

 platelet count. 



Upon diets deficient in vitamin B, the results are more striking. In human 

 beriberi, Takasu ('03) found in infants a decreased erythrocyte count (range of 

 2,400,000-4,800,000 in 17 cases), but nearly always an increase in leukocytes 

 (range of 9,000-34,000 in 15 cases). In chronic cases there is an increase in the 

 mononuclear leukocytes. Chun ('17) observed an increase of about 100 per cent 

 in the leukocyte count. Findlay ('20), however, claimed that in beriberi there is 

 a decrease in the total leukocytes, though not in the lymphocytes or neutro- 

 philes. Nagayo ('23) claims that human beriberi differs from experimental 

 polyneuritis in that anemia is not present and lymphocytosis is frequent. 



The work of Breaudat ('10) was inaccessible. 



In 200 chicks and 150 pigeons with experimental polyneuritis, Tasawa ('15) 

 noted general anemia as a striking symptom. Weill, Arloing and Dufourt ('22), 

 in pigeons on polished rice diet, likewise found a rapid and progressive decrease 

 in the red cell count and hemoglobin, with a tendency to considerable leukocytosis. 

 Hoffman ('22) found that even in normal pigeons there is a marked individual 

 variation in the blood cell counts (erythrocytes 2.4-4.0 millions; leukocytes 

 40,000-320,000), so conclusions as to changes must be guarded. In 13 normal 

 pigeons the erythrocytes averaged 3 . 1 millions per cumm. , the leukocytes 1 70,000 

 in 7 latent polyneuritic, erythrocytes 2.5 millions, leukocytes 220,000; in 16 

 severe polyneuritic, erythrocytes 2.2 millions, leukocytes 260,000; in cured 

 polyneuritic pigeons, erythrocytes 3.4 millions; leukocytes 390,000. These 

 results appear to agree with those of Weill, Arloing and Dufourt, and also to 

 those (previously cited) for general inanition in the pigeon. 



Suski ('23) obtained somewhat different results with adult pigeons (300- 

 380 g.). On vitamin-free diet (autoclaved rice, wheat protein, lard and 

 salt mixture) there was marked loss in body weight, slight loss in average 

 erythrocyte count, and some irregularity in differential leukocyte count (abso- 

 lute leukocyte counts not given). With the addition of butter and orange juice 

 to the diet (deficient in vitamin B only), there was simDar decrease in body 

 weight, increase in average erythrocyte count (from 4,140,500 to 4,780,000), and 

 in relative polymorphonuclear count (from 48 to 50 per cent) with correspond- 

 ing decrease in lymphocytes and transitional forms. 



In a dog on polished rice diet with symptoms of polyneuritis, Brucco ('20) 

 observed a fall in the hemoglobin content and the erythrocyte count. 



