The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-02-13


his column.
blood, a very technical procedure.
| will try, in a few articles this
week, to describe in simple terms
how blood examinations are made
and what can be learned from
them-and especially what cannot
be learned from them.
To many people a blood test"
means the immunity reaction
known as the Wasserman test.
This is a reliable test for certain
immune bodies in the blood but it
is by no means even a small part
Of the things the doctor learns
from the blood. Nor do l intend
to discuss it further here.
In general, the blood is exam
ined for six things:
G} The anatomical blood ele-
ments-white and red blood cells.
90 The amount of coloring mat
ter - hemoglobin in the blood.
go Immune reactions for typhoid
and many other infections. "a
Coagulstion time. (5) Sedimenta-
ton rate. (6) Chemical compost
ton.
Taking these in order: Exami-
nation for the red and white blood
cells should be made in the routine
of any examination. Every normal
human being has exactly the same
concentration of red and white
blood cells, in every drop Of blood.
The fat and the thin, the pale and
the rudy, so long as they are nor
NAL, shave all the same number per
square inch.
Five Quarts in Normal Body
There are about five quarts Of
blood in the normal body - al
though this varies somewhat ac-
cording to size and weight-so we
each have exactly the same num-
Der of little red blood cells scurry-
ing all over the premises, on their
very necessary errands of useful
ness and mercy. They are the
freight cars that bring our body
cells air and food and building
blocks, and repairs and medicine
and screen doors, and they remove
the garbage and clean the streets.
and we couldn't very well get
along without them.
So they are very important
members Of the body physical and
when they are reduced in number
our sense of well being is greatly
impaired. And they are fire.
quently reduced-in the case of
the red cells, this being called
"anemia. So if person is
-bEeathless, or has a sore tongue,
or feels weak, or has no Appetite
the symptoms of anemia are
various-it is important to know
how many of these citizens he is
carrying. But this can be ascer-
tanned easily; is a regular method
of examination in any Doctors
Office.
Sometimes they are increased in
number though this is not nearly
as common an occurrence as an
emia and here, too, there are dis
agreeable sensations as if we had
too many policemen and garbage
removers and delivery trucks
cumming up the streets and alleys
and getting in each others way.
Red Corpuscle Carries Oxygen
Since each red corpuscle carries
a definite amount of hemoglobin.
which carries the oxygen to the
cell-in health, the estimation of
the hemoglobin is a rough index
to the number of red cells. But
this varies somewhat in different
diseases and is useful as a matter
of differential diagnosis of the
anemias-a matter that can be
well left to the experts.
Treatment of these conditions
is simple and logical, once the
true condition is known. The won
ders Of liver extract in anemia is
one of the astonishing medical
discoveries of all time. The use
Of iron has also been rediscov-
cred for certain types of anemia
and we now know how TO give it.
Some Of the vitamins are also
useful.
Counting the white corpuscles
is equally valuable. They are in
creased, indicative Of infections
like appendicitis and pneumonia.
But the discussion is somewhat
too technical for an article of this
kind.
he points out, the emergency
doubtless will blow up and we'll
have an enormously superluous
factory equipment on hand (super-
fuous for normal purposes). play
ing hades with our national eco
Monies.
However, we shant have TO ration
grub.