Alexander Goodall

Digestion leucocytosis: II. The source of the leucocytes1

IN a previous paper(1) we found that the total number of leucocytes in the circulating blood rises during digestion and reaches a maximum in about four hours after food. This leucocytosis is not affected by removal of the spleen. The increase comprises a lymphocytosis and a polymorphonuclear leucocytosis but the eosinophils show very little change. The number and varieties of white cells in corresponding mesenteric veins and arteries during digestion are similar, and resemble those in the general circulation.

Digestion leucocytosis in normal and in spleenless dogs1

AN increase in the number of leucocytes in the circulation during digestion is now a familiar observation, but the exact nature of the leucocytosis and its true meaning have never been satisfactorily demonstrated, nor has the question of whether the spleen plays any part been considered. Hofmeister(l) described an increase in the lymphocytes of the intestinal wall along with the absorption of the peptones in proteid digestion. Pohl (2) externded these observations and found a considerable increase in the number of white cells in the blood generally, after a proteid diet and at the same time a relative diminution of the mononucleated cells. On comparing the number of leucocytes in corresponding mesenteric veins and arteries a large excess of white cells was found in the veins during digestion. The inference from these observations seems to be that the leucocytosis is due to an increase in the number of polymorphonuclear cells, and these, according to Pohls observations, are derived from the intestinal wall. Several authors, e.g., Cabot (3, class the increase of white cells dutring digestion as a polymorphonuclear leucocytosis, while others, e.g., Ehrlicb and Lazarus(4), state that the relative proportion of polymorphic cells and lymphocytes does not vary. Ascoli (5) describes digestion leucocytosis, which he considers as probably due, like the leucocytosis of infection, to a chemiotactic influence.

The Effect of Simultaneous Removal of Thymus and Spleen in young Guinea-pigs.

We have already shown that removal of the spleen (1) or of the thymus (2) has very little effect on the animal economy. Since the spleen and thymus together comprise the largest amount of lymphoid tissue in the body of young animals, it would appear not improbable that although removal of either of these organs causes no marked disturbance, their simultaneous extirpation might be expected to give rise to some more manifest change. Friedleben (3) states that, while in his series of experiments no dog died of removal of the thymus, and that the removal of the spleen in young dogs does not influence the course of life, the simultaneous removal of the thymus and spleen causes a marked deterioration of blood formation, and leads to death.