136 THE PROTEOMORPHIC THEORY AND THE NEW MEDICINE 



red cell count almost invariably follow the administration of the 

 proteins. These changes are of a kind susceptible of interpreta- 

 tion in terms of the Proteomorphic theory. But they have a 

 high degree of interest quite aside from theoretical interpreta- 

 tions. As gauged by the study of about 200 original cases, 

 they appear to include a tendency to bring the polynuclear leu- 

 cocytes and small lymphocytes towards the normal ; whereas the 

 basophiles and eosinophiles are markedly increased, and the large 

 monocytes are increased by several hundred per cent. 



Before giving details as to these interesting modifications of 

 the blood count brought about by the administration of protein 

 antigens, I would again call attention to the highly interesting 

 laboratory experiments reported by Drs. M. W. Man waring and 

 Yoshio Kusama, of the department of bacteriology and immunity 

 of Leland Stanford, Jr., University, as recorded in the Proceed- 

 ings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, of 

 May 24, 1916. These experiments go to show that the blood 

 corpuscles of a rabbit actively absorb goat serum protein, whether 

 the goat serum is mixed with the (defibrinated) rabbit's blood in 

 a receptacle outside the body or whether it is injected into the 

 system of the living rabbit. 



This -observation, obviously, gives strong support to the as- 

 sumption of the Proteomorphic theory that the blood corpuscles 

 are the chief agents concerned in dealing with foreign proteins 

 the assumption that forms the chief basis for the explanation 

 of the therapeutic action of the protein remedies with which the 

 present book is concerned. 



In attempting to interpret the meaning of the observed changes 

 in the blood picture, however, one is entering quite unexplored 

 territory, and a territory in which the newly observed facts do 

 not at all times serve as an accurate guide. 



Interesting hints as to the mutual relations of the various types 

 of white corpuscles are given by charts in which the different 

 groups of cells are represented by graphic lines (see the cancer 

 Monograph). It is hoped that the study of these in connection 

 with the protein remedies will throw new light on the obscure 

 relations of the different types of leucocytes. When a much 

 larger series of charts is available than at present, it is certainly 

 to be expected that relations will be observed between the mutual 

 rise and fall of the different types of corpuscles under treat- 

 ment that will help to explain the genetic relations of these bodies. 



In making such charts, it is desirable to transform percentages 

 of the differential leucocyte count to actual numbers. When this 

 is done, one is impressed with the general observation that there 

 seems a strong tendency, under the Ptoteal treatment, for the 

 polynuclear leucocytes and the small lymphocytes to be modified 



