260 



Mr. F. G. Jackson and Dr. Y. Harley. 



From these results one may conclude that there is a slight reduction 

 in the number of red blood corpuscles in monkeys fed on tainted meat, 

 although this reduction is nothing like the reduction one finds in the 

 human subject in many of the more severe forms of anaemia. 



The Leucocytes. — The white blood corpuscles were counted in the 

 same way as the red blood corpuscles. This was carried out on one of 

 the monkeys affected wtih sciu'vy. It is seen in the case of the normal 

 monkey that there were 8125 leucocytes per cubic millimetre, while in 

 the case of the monkey suffering from scurvy there were no less than 

 40,000. 



Laboulbene notes the occurrence of an unusual number of white 

 globules in scurvy. We certainly can conclude that there is a very 

 marked leucocytosis produced by the diet of tainted meat. 



The Hcemoglobin.—The quantity of colouring matter in the blood was 

 estimated by Fleischl's hsemometer. In each case precautions were 

 taken to use the same illumination power, and at least two calculations 

 were made, the average being taken. 



It is seen in the above table (TV) that the haemoglobin present repre- 

 sent 75, while in both the monkeys suffering from scurvy it is very 

 considerably reduced, being 48 and 45 respectively. When we compare 

 this with the small reduction in the number of red blood corpuscles, we 

 see that in the monkeys fed on tainted meat there is produced a very 

 marked hsemoglobinsemia, while at the same time there is probably 

 oligocythsemia. 



In fact this condition corresponds with that in the human being in 

 cases of chlorosis, as against those forms of pernicious anaemia or 

 secondary anajmia, where either the red blood corpuscles are reduced 

 out of proportion to the haemoglobin, or the haemoglobin and corpuscles 

 are reduced in equal proportions. 



The Specific Gmvitij of the Blood. — The estimation of the specific 

 gravity of the blood in these monkeys was carried out by means of 

 the picnometer. In the normal monkey we have a specific gravity of 

 1046, while in the case of the two monkeys suffering from scurvy we 

 have a specific gravity of 1035 and 1034; so that we can conclude 

 that there is a slight decrease in the specific gra-sdty produced by the 

 diet of tainted meat. 



Tlie JVater and Solids of the Blood. — A given quantity of blood was 

 collected in a platinum crucible and dried to constant weight at 70^ C. 

 It is seen that in the normal blood there was 83' 37 per cent, of water 

 and 16'63 per cent, solids, while in the case of the monkeys suffering 

 from scurvy the percentage of water was 85*18, with only 14' 12 per 

 cent, of solids, in monkey No. 8, while 84-99 per cent, of water, with 

 15*01 per cent, of solids, occurred in No. 10. It would appear that all 

 observers who have noted the blood in scurvy speak of the marked 

 diminution in the total solids which occurs in this disease. So that we 



