Some hematological studies in tuberculosis / by G.B. Webb and W.W. Williams.

  • Gerald Bertram Webb
Date:
[1909]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Some hematological studies in tuberculosis / by G.B. Webb and W.W. Williams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Thoma-Zeiss apparatus, and gave similar results. Total leucocytes were counted, and simultaneously differential slides made, in thirty-three normals, resulting as follows: Leucocytes per cubic millimeter: Average Extremes Percentage of mononuclears: Average Extremes Mononuclears per cubic millimeter: Average Extremes 5589 3300-9000 47-4 ...35-68.5 2660 r236-4347 Kjer-Petersen^ gives the average leucocyte count per cubic millimeter at sea-level as 4000 to 5000. These figures, however, are not agreed to by Cabot and others, and are stated to be too low. Most observers agree to 6000 to 7000 as the sea-level average, so that it will be observed our figure at 5589 is not an increase. Huggard® and Tissier^ state also that the number of leucocytes is not increased by altitude. We now undertook to attempt to find the reason for the increase in the mononuclear element as evidenced by the cormts which had been made on rabbits, guinea-pigs, children, and adults. It was natural to expect altitude to be the factor, as in the increase of ery- throcytes. The following chart (I) is prepared from observations made on a healthy adult male, aged twenty-five, and represents the percentage of mononuclear elements. The first part of the chart illustrates from December 20,1908, to January i, 1909, the changes from the percentage estimated immediately on arrival in Colorado Springs to his departure for New York. The observations on February 25, 1909, and March 6, 1909, were made during his residence in New York by Dr. T. W. Hastings. On his return to Colorado Springs, Jime 19, 1909, wiU be noticed that the percentage lies in the shaded area which represents the sea-level average. It will be seen that from eight to eleven days were necessary to obtain the highest change. Chart II represents graphically the increase in mononuclears in the blood of a doctor from Boston during the dates indicated. The first observation was not made, as in Chart I, immediately on arrival, but after the doctor had been walking and going around some five or six hours. An initial rise in erythrocytes is seen at times in the first hours of residence