One question that naturally arises in considering the possible effects
of a diminished proteid intake upon bodily health is whether a continued
diminution of proteid food will have any influence upon the character
and composition of the blood. It might be claimed, for example, that a
lowering of the quantity of proteid food below the ordinarily accepted
standards will eventually result in a deterioration in the character of
the blood. Obviously, if such should prove to be the case, it would at
once emphasize the necessity for higher standards of proteid feeding.
Further, there might result marked changes in the hæmoglobin-content of
the blood in connection with a lowered proteid metabolism long continued.
With these thoughts in mind, a careful study of the blood of the soldiers
has been made from time to time, with special reference to determining
the number of erythrocytes and leucocytes in the fluid, attention also
being paid to the percentage of hæmoglobin.
Four distinct observations were made, as a rule, upon each man, namely,
in the months of October, December, January, and March. The results are
tabulated in the accompanying tables. Examination of these results shows
that, as a rule, the number of erythrocytes, or red blood corpuscles,
was somewhat increased during this period of lowered proteid feeding. We
are not disposed, however, to lay very much stress upon this apparent
increase, because it is not sufficiently marked to carry much weight,
especially in view of the difficulties attending the obtaining of great
accuracy in blood counts in general. Regarding the leucocytes, the
figures are less definite, but may be fairly interpreted as indicating
practically no appreciable change in the number of white corpuscles.
Similarly, the hæmoglobin-content shows no distinct alteration. Hence,
the conclusion is that the physiological economy practised by the
soldiers during their six months’ stay in New Haven, and especially the
marked diminution in the amount of proteid food consumed, did not result
in any deterioration of the blood, so far as it can be measured by the
number of contained erythrocytes and leucocytes, and by the content of
hæmoglobin.
+-------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+
| Date. | Erythrocytes| Leucocytes| Hæmoglobin|
| | per cmm. | per cmm. | per cent. |
+-------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+
| OAKMAN. | | | |
|Oct. 23, 1903| 5,480,000 | 7,300 | 82 |
|Dec. 1, 1903 | 6,000,000 | 9,500 | 82 |
|Jan. 26, 1904| 4,670,000 | 12,500 | 80-81 |
|Mar. 22, 1904| 6,560,000 | 6,000 | 84-85 |
| | | | |
| SLINEY. | | | |
|Oct. 22, 1903| 5,450,000 | 11,500 | 85 |
|Nov. 20, 1903| 6,070,000 | 8,800 | 84 |
|Jan. 19, 1904| 4,058,000 | 11,100 | 76 |
|Mar. 15, 1904| 6,208,000 | 8,400 | 82 |
| | | | |
| BATES. | | | |
|Oct. 13, 1903| 5,088,000 | 12,000 | 77 |
|Nov. 10, 1903| 7,344,000 | 13,600 | 96 |
| | | | |
| COFFMAN. | | | |
|Oct. 13, 1903| 6,024,000 | 9,300 | 84 |
|Nov. 10, 1903| 7,544,000 | 8,600 | 94 |
|Feb. 2, 1904 | 3,160,000 | 11,300 | 78 |
|Mar. 18, 1904| 5,568,000 | 10,000 | 74 |
| | | | |
| COHN. | | | |
|Nov. 23, 1903| 5,952,000 | 17,200 | 94 |
|Feb. 2, 1904 | 6,000,000 | 13,600 | 87-88 |
|Mar. 18, 1904| 7,000,000 | 9,000 | 85-86 |
| | | | |
| LOEWENTHAL. | | | |
|Oct. 16, 1903| 6,392,000 | 5,900 | 84 |
|Nov. 20, 1903| 6,780,000 | 5,000 | 85 |
|Jan. 25, 1904| 6,500,000 | 11,200 | 85 |
|Mar. 22, 1904| 7,000,000 | 10,200 | 86-87 |
| | | | |
| MORRIS. | | | |
|Oct. 14, 1903| 6,728,000 | 11,300 | 84-85 |
|Nov. 10, 1903| 6,620,000 | 8,100 | 90-91 |
|Feb. 8, 1904 | 6,000,000 | 9,600 | 87-88 |
|Mar. 15, 1904| 5,000,000 | 10,200 | 85 |
| | | | |
| STELTZ. | | | |
|Oct. 16, 1903| 6,792,000 | 12,400 | 85-86 |
|Nov. 20, 1903| 5,500,000 | 13,800 | 88 |
|Feb. 8, 1904 | 5,000,000 | 14,700 | 86-87 |
|Mar. 15, 1904| 7,000,000 | 14,800 | 85 |
| | | | |
| BROYLES. | | | |
|Nov. 24, 1903| 5,310,000 | 9,200 | 89 |
|Jan. 19, 1904| 5,200,000 | 6,100 | 80 |
|Mar. 15, 1904| 5,600,000 | 8,800 | 85 |
| | | | |
| ZOOMAN. | | | |
|Oct. 22, 1903| 6,024,000 | 9,300 | 91 |
|Nov. 24, 1903| 5,136,000 | 6,700 | 94 |
|Feb. 8, 1904 | 7,760,000 | 16,000 | 87-88 |
|Mar. 22, 1904| 4,800,000 | 13,600 | 88 |
| | | | |
| DAVIS. | | | |
|Oct. 13, 1903| 4,160,000 | 5,700 | 86-87 |
|Nov. 10, 1903| 5,850,000 | 9,200 | 88 |
| | | | |
| FRITZ. | | | |
|Nov. 2, 1903 | 4,776,000 | 9,800 | 87-88 |
|Dec. 1, 1903 | 6,048,000 | 9,200 | 94 |
|Jan. 19, 1904| 5,848,000 | 10,000 | 84 |
|Mar. 15, 1904| 5,784,000 | 6,400 | 92 |
| | | | |
| HENDERSON. | | | |
|Oct. 16, 1903| 7,192,000 | 16,000 | 87 |
|Nov. 20, 1903| 5,760,000 | 10,200 | 84 |
|Jan. 25, 1904| 6,800,000 | 8,000 | |
|Mar. 18, 1904| 8,144,000 | 15,000 | 79-80 |
+-------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+