290 ASCORBIC ACID 



in the ear, but later it became very difficult and in some cases impossible 

 to obtain it from the marginal vessels. Elster and Schock^^" reported noting 

 no change in blood volume in scurvy. Further study is desirable, however, 

 before drawing final conclusions as to the effects of scurvy on total blood 

 volume. 



(2) Eryihroajies. Decreases in erythrocytes have been reported by several 

 investigators.^*' "^^' ^^^' ^^^' ^^^ McCormick*^ (Meyer and McCormick) made 

 blood studies of the scorbutic guinea pigs of which Meyer^^ had described 

 the gross and minute morphology. He found an average fall in erythrocytes 

 of 30 % and a drop in hemoglobin values of 38 %. Since smears of the bone 

 marrow showed the presence of an increased number of nucleated red cells 

 as compared to normals, it seemed that there was an increased blood de- 

 struction and stimulation of the bone marrow. Smears from the 

 bone marrow did not show reticulated cells but did show many nucleated 

 erythrocytes. Blood smears, however, revealed large vacuolated reticulated 

 cells. McCormick concluded that "whatever the cause of the red cell de- 

 struction the young cells are more susceptible to its influence." Hemor- 

 rhages seemed to be the most likely cause of the destruction of red cells. 



Mettier and Chew^^" studied blood formation in relation to ascorbic acid 

 nutrition in guinea pigs with an initial weight of 300 to 500 g. The survival 

 time on the deficient diet usually ranged from 21 to 30 days. Coincident 

 with the first appearance of gross symptoms of scurvy, which occurred 

 usually from the tenth to the fifteenth day, an anemia developed. The red 

 cells decreased from an average normal of about 5,000,000 per milliliter to 

 half that number. With the administration of 3 ml. of orange juice daily, 

 there was prompt improvement in the blood picture. An increase in retic- 

 ulocytes in the peripheral blood was observed and an increase in mitotic 

 figures in the bone marrow. Azodi^^^ conducted tests with guinea pigs fed 

 a diet of sterilized milk and zweiback with a supplement of cod liver oil. 

 This diet was possibly inadequate with respect to copper and iron, some 

 of the B vitamins, and vitamin E. During the first week of deprivation of 

 ascorbic acid he observed a 20 % increase in the number of red cells. The 

 quite young animals usually showed definite evidence of scurvy by the sec- 

 ond to third week. By this time the red cells and hemoglobin showed a 

 decrease. In animals which lived beyond this time there was a marked drop 

 in erythrocytes and hemoglobin. In young as well as in full-grown animals 

 the increase in erythrocytes was greater than that of hemoglobin during 

 the early phases of scurvy so that the color index fell. Later, as the number 



128 D. Liotta, Arch, farmacol. sper. (Rome) 36, 76 (1923). 



129 K. I. Kondo, Folia Pharmacol. Japan. 32, 192 (1941). 



"0 S. R. Mettier and II. B. Chew, Proc. Soc. Expll. Biol. Med. 29, 11 (1934). 

 1" Z. Azodi, Biochem. Z. 291, 34 (1937). 



