74 On the Fluctuations in the Number of white Blood Corpuscles etc. 



J, L. X'06 66 millions per mm.-^ ( 5 countings) 



11/07 6-3 — — — 



VII /07 5-9 _ — _ 



L. XI/06 6-3 — - — 



11/07 6-4 — — — 



The average of 42 countings from two different individuals was 

 therefore 63 millions of erythrocytes per cubic mm. 



Whether this increased number of the red corpuscles is real or 

 only apparent, I am unable to say, and the reason for it is just as 

 little known to me. It may however be remarked that Ekelöf^ 

 has also found an increase to about 6 millions of the red blood 

 corpuscles. In mountainous regions also a very considerable in- 

 crease in the number of red blood corpuscles has been noticed, 

 which in any case is partly reaF. Zuntz considers the rarification 

 of the air, perhaps also the lack of oxygen, as the cause of this 

 increase. As there is however a very obvious agreement, so far as 

 the respiratory phenomena are concerned, between high mountains 

 and the arctic regions, and as there can hardly be any other reason 

 for this than that the changes are in both cases due to the light, it 

 is indeed not wholly excluded that the light is also of importance 

 in the increase of the red corpuscles. In any case this is a point 

 of view which deserves increased attention in future investigations. 



With regard to the variations in the number of red blood cor- 

 puscles from day to day, these follow the same laws, so far as I 

 can judge, as the leucocytes. 



The quantity of hæmoglobin was determined according to 

 Tallquist's scale in 16 individuals at the end of September 1906 

 and again in the same persons on the reappearance of the sun in 

 February 1907. 



There proved to be an average decrease of ca. 9 ^'/o (5 — 20). The 

 decrease was distinctly shown in all the individuals examined. In 

 the following winter I also noted a decrease in my own case of 

 about 10 ^'/o; examination about 2 months later after a journey showed* 

 the hæmoglobin to be again at 100 ^lo. 



It would seem, in spite of the rough method of investigation, 

 that the quantity of hæmoglobin decreases during the dark period 

 in arctic regions. 



^ Die Gesundheits u. Krankheitspflege |während d. schwedischen Südpoiarexpedi- 



tion Okt. 1901--Jan. 1904. 

 * Zuntz and others: Höhenklima^u. Bergwanderungen. Berlin 1906. Chape VI. 



4—2—1910. 



