34 



The condition of the patient improves, he puts on weight, 

 looses his breathlessness, and feels a new man. 



Marked changes occur in the blood. A leucocytosis of 

 perhaps 400,000 to 800,000 is slowly and steadily reduced, till 

 I have seen the blood practically normal. Let me give one 

 example : — 



Mr. P., July 17, '04. R. C. 3,000,000 

 W. C. 320,000 



Oct. 10. 

 72% 



4%? 



20 



3 



•6 



None. 



None. 



Polymorphonuclear cells 37^'^^ 



Myelocytes 36% 



Lymphocytes 3% 



Large mononuclear 8% 



Eosinophil, coarse 3% 



Basophil 4% 



Transitional 6% 



9% of all reds nucleated. 

 In Oct. 10. R. C. 3,050,000 

 W. C. 7,188 



The X rays in this case produced a blood to all intents 

 and purposes normal, but still a little anzemic. The patient 

 felt quite well. The action of the Rontgen rays is to alter the 

 condition of the marrow and bring it back more or less to its 

 normal condition, As a consequence of this, those cells in the 

 blood, due to excessive production by the marrow, tend to 

 disappear from the general blood stream. 



The myelocytes, both finely and coarsely granular, 

 together with the mast cells (with their basophil granules), 

 cease to be present in the systemic circulation. 



In leukaemia we have a specific response of the marrow 

 to a specific stimulus. The X rays in some occult manner 

 remove this specific stimulus and permit the marrow to return 

 to its normal. 



I have noticed also that, after the application of the 

 X rays to the long bones, there is much greater difficulty in 

 staining the cells of the blood. Dr. Buchanan has made some 

 interesting observations on this point, which, I hope, he will 

 give in detail to this meeting. 



