Diseases of the Blood and Blood- 

 Producing Organs 



1. Anemia. Anaemia. 



The name anemia designates the absolute diminution of 

 the hemoglobin in the blood without a visible affection of 

 the blood-producing organs and without symptoms of abnormal 

 leucocytes in the blood. These pathological conditions may 

 depend either upon a more or less uniform diminution of all 

 of the constituents of the blood (Oligemia), on the diminution 

 of red blood corpuscles (Oligocythemia), or on a simple dimi- 

 nution of the blood-coloring matter in the presence of otherwise 

 normal numbers of red blood corpuscles (Oligochromemia). 

 In the majority of cases -Oligemia and Oligocythemia are 

 present simultaneously, and in severe cases the water contents 

 of the blood is considerably increased at the expense of the 

 other constituents (Hydremia). 



Etiology. After profuse losses of blood a severe anemia 

 may develop in a short time, sometimes even in a few minutes 

 (Anemia acuta) ; thus after phlebotomy, epistaxis, after injury 

 of larger blood vessels, after bursting of aneurysms, after very 

 profuse parenchyiuatous bleeding (hemoglobinuria, intestinal 

 hemorrhages, etc.), also after severe hemoglobinemia. 



In the majority of cases the development of the anemia 

 occurs slowly and gradually (Anemia chronica). Thus re- 

 peated losses of blood may in time produce anemia. A con- 

 tinuously insufficient nutrition has an important part in the 

 etiology of anemia. The unfavorable action of the food may 

 become manifested either as a result of an insufficient quantity 

 by feeding foods deficient in proteids or in iron. The effect of a 

 qualitatively insufficient nutrition may be assumed in anemia of 

 sheep (the so-called chlorosis, Cachexia aquosa), which develops 

 when the animals are pastured in marshy moorland pastures, 

 or after failures of crops if the animals are fed in winter in- 

 sufficiently on poor food-stuffs such as beet leaves, etc. In 

 cattle a continuous feeding on food lacking in nutritive ma- 

 terial may also cause severe anemia (Hydremia). Thus the 



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