Syiiiplonis, Course, Diagnosis. g75 



protoplasm, altliougli there exists as yet no positive observa- 

 tions in regard to their occurrence in leukemia of mammals. 

 The entire uniformity of white blood corpuscles of domestic 

 mammals with those of man permits the supposition that the 

 unripe forms of leucocytes occur also in the myelogenic leukemia 

 of domestic animals. Accordingly besides the considerably in- 

 creased numl^er of normal cells in the blood there should be 

 found neutrophiles, a few acidophiles and probably also 

 basophilic polynuclear leucocytes, also mononuclear neutrophilic 

 leucocytes (marrow cells, myelocytes) in varying numbers and 

 sizes, also mononuclear acidophilic leucocytes (Plate X, Fig. 2). 



The red blood corpuscles in lymphatic leukemia show, as 

 a rule, no changes in form, while in myelogenic leukemia 

 poikiloc5i;osis is frequent, and they are frequently nucleated 

 (Plate X, Fig. 2). A diminution of the hemoglobin contents 

 in the blood can always be demonstrated. 



In some cases the temperature shows only a slight rise, 

 or it may rise to 39-40° C. ; on the other hand, towards the 

 termination of the disease, a subnormal temperature is not 

 infrequently oliserved. 



Frohnor found in the eye of an affected horse, near the inner border of 

 the papilla, a lentil-sized, triangular, sharply circumscribed white spot (Retinitis 

 leukaeniica ?) 



Towards the termination of the disease hemorrhages occur 

 not infrequently, especially on the mucous membranes (gums, 

 conjunctivae, intestines, etc.), further on the skin and in the 

 muscles, sometimes even in the brain. At the same time 

 parenchymatous hemorrhages are very stubborn. 



Course. Leukemia is usually a chronic affection and ex- 

 tends over several months and even years. An acute leukemia 

 develops only exceptionally, principally in young animals which 

 may succumb to the disease in a relatively short time, some- 

 times in a few weeks (Nocard observed in one case a termina- 

 tion of the disease in less than one week). At the same time 

 chronic cases sometimes are arrested for a varying space of 

 time, or an apparent improvement may even occur. By im- 

 proper keeping or by using the animals for work the course 

 is always influenced unfavorably. Frequently however the 

 animals are destroyed before the occurrence of natural death; 

 only rarely do they die from complete exhaustion or from 

 internal hemorrhage, and still more rarely the fatal termina- 

 tion results unexpectedly or Avithout apparent cause (Siedam- 

 grotzky). 



Diagnosis. The affection of the blood-forming organs, and 

 the considerable increase of the white blood corpuscles, offer 

 together sufficient indications for the correct recognition of 

 leukemia. Without a knowledge of the morphological charac- 



