Transfusion of Blood 



GEORGE R. MINOT 



AND 



ARLIE V. BOCK 



BOSTON 



I. Introduction 



Transfusion of blood is a standard therapeutic measure. Its useful- 

 ness has outgrown the older conception that it is only an emergency opera- 

 tion. Holtz has traced the history of transfusion back to Cardanus' work 

 in 1556. The simplification of transfusion methods has made it possible 

 for those not particularly trained in surgical technic to transfer blood 

 from one individual to another, while the possibility of avoiding hemolysis 

 by preliminary tests has eliminated the chief risk. In spite of these facts, 

 the majority of physicians still regard transfusion as a formidable opera- 

 tion. It is our purpose here to discuss the transfusion of blood from 

 different aspects, especial emphasis being placed upon the physiological 

 principles that form the basis for its use in therapeutics. 



II. General Effects of Anemia on the Body 



In order to appreciate some of the effects of transfusion in cases of 

 anemia it is desirable to consider briefly certain disturbances which occur 

 when there is a diminished amount of circulating hemoglobin in the body. 

 In general, it may be said that anemia impoverishes the functions of all 

 the organs of the body and produces certain deleterious changes. Well 

 known clinical manifestations indicate the existence of the condition. 

 These vary according to the degree of the anemia, but they may include 

 dyspnea, palpitation, gastro-intestinal disorders, disturbance of kidney 

 function, symptoms referable to the central nervous system, and, in 

 extreme cases, complete prostration may result. The latter condition is 

 often regarded as cardiac failure, the underlying anemia having been 

 overlooked. 



Very little definite knowledge is at hand to show the relation of such 

 clinical manifestations to altered function of the body. Strauss (6), quot- 



821 



