IvEUCOCYTES IN DISEASE. 



Beside the leucocytosis of physiological origin (digestion, 

 pregnancy, newborn), the condition is especially common after 

 hosmorrhage, in cachectic conditions, antemortem, and in connection 

 with inflammations, especially such as afEect large lymph plexuses 

 (cellulitis), or are associated with extensive suppuration. The 

 inflammatory leucocytosis is shown in a marked way in twenty- 

 eight diseased horses in which the blood counts were made at the 

 N. Y. S. Veterinary College by Moore, Haring and Cady. The 

 highest record per c. mm. of blood from seven healthy horses wrfs 

 but 6.820. Five cases of fistulous withers or poll evil or both, 

 made the following records: 7.549; 10.707; 11.000; 15.232. 

 A case of shoulder abscess furnished 10.793; a suppurating 

 oedema 10.623 ; '^'^ enlarged (cellutitis) hind limb 14.444 ! 3- 

 chronic lymphangitis 7.677 ; sarcoma of the maxilla after opera- 

 tion 9.925 ; a suppurating odontoma of the maxilla 20.000 ; a 

 quittor after operation 11.575; infected kick- wound 14.400; 

 case of tendo-vaginitis 16.266; and epithelioma of the sheath 

 26.666. It is quite true, that these affections were all appre- 

 ciable by other and obvious symptoms, but they show that the 

 rule as worked out for man is equally applicable to the soliped, 

 and in some cases in which the lesions were less obvious, the 

 leucocytosis coinciding with other indications might furnish 

 valuable corroborative testimony. 



When we come to the experimental cases on small, laboratory 

 — animals we find the general application of the principle fully 

 sustained. Rogers and Josue, forty-eight hours after the injec- 

 tion of staphylococcus aureus into rabbits, found great encrease 

 of red cells and eosinophiles, but on the third days these had in 

 the main disappeared and neutrophile myelocytes and giant cells 

 formed the bulk of the blood cells in the now greatly hypertrophied 

 vessels. Virulent diphtheria cultures in Guinea-pigs killed the 

 subjects within forty-eight hours, before leucocytosis set in ; but 

 in rabbits, which lived somewhat longer after the injection, leu- 

 cocytosis became well established before death. 



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