170 DISEASES OF THE BLOOD 



there may be only four or even two million per c.mm. The 

 number of leukocytes and the form of the erythrocytes 

 remain, however, practically normal. 



Course. — While anemia produced by a sudden loss of blood 

 may be fatal within a few minutes, the course in most anemias 

 is chronic, lasting for months or years. 



Prognosis. — The prognosis depends upon the cause of the 

 anemia. If the causes are benign and removable, such as 

 moderate hemorrhage, poor food, etc., proper care and treat- 

 ment will rapidly replace the lost blood. On the other hand, 

 if the cause, is malignant and cannot be removed, such as 

 advanced tuberculosis, chronic protozoan diseases or general- 

 ized carcinomatosis, the prognosis is bad. 



Treatment. — The treatment must be governed by the causes 

 of the anemia. Where due to hemorrhage, poor food and the 

 like obviously these conditions must be rectified. When this 

 is done a rapid recovery follows. In secondary anemias the 

 patients are best treated by allowing plenty of good food and 

 such medicinal blood plastics as iron, arsenic, and phosphate 

 of lime. In man the transfusion of blood from a healthy 

 individual to the anemic one is advisable. Sometimes good 

 results are obtained by the infusion of physiological salt solu- 

 tions, which may be combined with adrenalin, into the veins 

 or rectum. The patient should be allowed plenty of drink- 

 ing water provided there is no hemorrhage present. Where 

 the anemia is secondary to a malignant disease like tuber- 

 culosis or cancer the treatment has only a temporary effect 

 and is not curative. 



LEUKEMIA. 



Definition. — Leukemia is an anemia with a marked increase 

 in the number of leukocytes in the blood. Contrary to a 

 simple leukocytosis the course is chronic. 



Etiology. — Leukemia is evidently a specific disease of the 

 organs which form the leukocytes such as the bone-marrow, 

 lymph tissue and spleen. The causes are not understood. 



Forms. — Two forms of leukemia are now distinguished in 

 animals, viz.: (a) lymphatic leukemia (lymphemia) and (b) 

 myeloid leukemia (myelemia). 



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