72 INFLUENCES AFFECTING THE LEUCOCYTES 



period of pregnancy in woman there is usually a moderate increase 

 in the number of leucocytes. It is most marked in primiparae; in 

 multipara 1 it occurs in about 50% of the cases. It is a mixed leu- 

 cocytosis, the percentages remaining unchanged except that the 

 eosins may not be increased. At the beginning of labor the count 

 is often 16-18,000. After parturition the leucocytes gradually 

 decrease, reaching normal usually in four to fourteen days, unless 

 there are complications, as lacerations, etc. 



In the domesticated animals the number of observations are 

 not sufficient to warrant drawing definite conclusions. Burnett 

 and Traum found a leucocytosis in a bitch, reaching 23,000 at 

 the time of parturition, then dropping to normal in less than three 

 weeks. The following are their counts: Oct. 29, 17,800 leucocytes; 

 Nov. 10, 23,600; Nov. 17, 23,300; Nov. 26, 19,100 (gave birth to 

 nine pups the night before); Dec. 17, 12,400. Storch found no 

 increase in leucocytes in pregnant cows or goats, and only a slight 

 increase in a small percentage of the pregnant sheep examined. 

 Brinckerhoff and Tyzzer found that leucocytosis of digestion was 

 not present in pregnant rabbits. 



New born. In general it may be said that the number of 

 leucocytes is high in the young with a high percentage of lympho- 

 cytes. In man the leucocytes are high until about the fifth year 

 when they reach normal numbers. Rieder obtained the following 

 counts: at birth, 14,200-27,400; &-4th day, 8,700-12,400; after 

 4th day, 12,400-14,800. Gundobin gives the following: fetus last 

 day 8,053; at birth 19,500; 24 hours 23,000; 48 hours 17,500. 

 Hayem gives the average for 48 hours as 18,000; the 3d-4th day 

 7,000; after the 5th day 9-11,000. The results of counts in ani- 

 mals are not uniform for the different species. Storch obtained 

 an average of 14,034 leucocytes in colts one year old. In cattle 

 Storch found the following: in a calf three hours old (had not 

 suckled) 21,488 leucocytes; in two calves two days old an average 

 of 16,600; four days, 15,754; seven days, 14,813; ten days, 12,856; 

 fifteen days, 12,042. In lambs, 30 hours to 14 days old, he found 

 the leucocyte count within normal limits. Kids, 5-11 days old 

 and pigs 6-28 days old showed no increa.se above the normal for 

 adult goats and swine. Burnett and Traum found the leucocytes 

 in pups from a few hours to 20 days old to fall within the normal 

 limits for adults. In cats Hayem found the leucocytes in the new 



