880 INFLUENCE OF FOOD PRESERVATIVES ON HEALTH. 



remaining the same. There is a large increase in the number of 

 red corpuscles in the after period and a decrease in the number of 

 white corpuscles, falling below the number in the fore period. The 

 percentage of hemoglobin remains the same in all three periods. The 

 color index is very slightly increased in the preservative period, fall- 

 ing in the after period to a figure below that of the fore period. 



SUMMARIES. 



Summaries are given for Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, who received sodium 

 sulphite, and for Nos. 8 to 11, who received sulphurous acid in the 

 free state and practically completed the full period of observation. 



The mean number of corpuscles in the blood of Nos. 1 to 6 for the 

 fore period is very markedly greater than during the preservative 

 period and slightly greater than during the after period. This sum- 

 mary shows that the administration of sulphurous acid in the form 

 of sulphites exerts a marked tendency to decrease the number of 

 red blood corpuscles. The same tendency is shown in respect of 

 the number of white ^corpuscles, which are almost a thousand less in 

 the preservative period than in the fore period and almost 2,000 less 

 than in the after period. There is a tendency also on the part of 

 the preservative to diminish the hemoglobin, and the diminution is 

 maintained during the after period. The color index is very slightly 

 increased in the preservative period, but is decreased in the after 

 period below the figure for the fore period. 



In the case of the men receiving sulphurous acid in a free state, 

 there is also shown a marked tendency on the part of the preserva- 

 tive to diminish the number of red corpuscles in the blood. In this 

 case the number of white corpuscles is slightly increased. There is 

 also manifested a very slight tendency to diminish the percentage 

 of hemoglobin, and this diminution continues in the after period. 

 The color index shows a slight increase during the preservative period 

 and a return to the figure of the fore period in the after period. 



In respect of the number of white corpuscles mentioned above, 

 attention is called to one abnormal result in the number of white 

 corpuscles recorded in the case of No. 9. It is not possible at this 

 time to trace the cause of this abnormality, but it is of a magnitude 

 which seems to indicate an error, as the number is twice as great 

 as would be expected under the circumstances. For this reason it 

 is found advisable to omit No. 9 and make a new summary for Nos. 

 8, 10, and 11. This summary indicates a marked tendency on the 

 part of the preservative to diminish the number of red corpuscles, 

 which are almost 1,000,000 less in the preservative period than in 

 the fore period. In the after period this loss is in great part restored, 

 though not completely. There is also in this case a marked tendency 



