64 VARIATIONS IN NUMBER OF RED CORPUSCLES 



and Traum found that the count remained low in a bitch for two 

 or more weeks after parturition. In man it has been found that 

 the count is lowered at parturition but should return to the normal 

 in from 10 to 14 days. 



High altitudes. Though the results obtained by different 

 investigators are conflicting, the majority have fount! that there 

 is a considerable increase in the number of red corpuscles and in 

 the specific gravity in animals and men living at high altitudes. 

 The hemoglobin does not seem to be increased to any extent. 

 Mxintz found the specific gravity of sheep on the plains was 1038 

 while on a mountain it was 1053.2; rabbits on the plains had a 

 specific gravity of 1046.2 while on a mountain it was 1066.1. 

 Viault found a polycythemia in animals on the Cordilleras. Foa 

 reports that animals taken to a height of 4,560 meters show a 

 polycythemia within eight hours after their arrival; the number 

 decreases to normal within 36 hours after removal to normal 

 level. Armand-Delillc and Mayer on the contrary obtained con- 

 flicting results with guinea pigs and rabbits which they carried 

 upon the Alps. Guillemard and Moog found an increase in red 

 corpuscles in both peripheral and central blood in rabbits and 

 guinea pigs taken from Paris to the summit of Mt. Blanc, but a 

 decrease in hemoglobin value. 



Webb, Gilbert and Havens found an increase in the blood plates 

 in five guinea pigs taken from sea level to Colorado Springs (6,000 

 ft.) from 350,000 per cmm. to something less than 450,000. The 

 average in twenty-six guinea pigs at Colorado Springs they found 

 to be 434,000 per cmm. 



Anemia. Anemia from the derivation of the word means 

 lack of blood, the sense in which the term is often used by practi- 

 tioners. In this sense it may mean a diminution in the volume of 

 blood, oligemia, or in the amount of hemoglobin, oligochrofnemia, 

 or a lessened number of corpuscles, oligocythemia. As clinically 

 used anemia generally means an oligochromemia, an oligocythemia 

 or both. This is the meaning we shall use for anemia. 



Anemia occurs in a variety of conditions, the more important 

 of which are — after hemorrhage, after marked exudation, in dimin- 

 ished nutrition, in diminished activity of the blood forming organs 

 and in increased destruction of red corpuscles. 



After hemorrhage with much loss of blood it takes a con- 



