Anemia

“ Aplastic anemia is a potentially fatal disease that results from the bone marrow ceasing to produce formal elements of the blood-the red blood cells, the white blood cells, and the platelets. The disease is responsible for the deaths of 2,000 Americans each year. One-half of the eases of aplastic anemia result from unknown causes. ”

“ In secondary anemia plaques are generally increased, although sometimes decreased. In pernicious anemia they are always greatly diminished, and an increase should exclude the diagnosis of this disease. ”

“ The lesson is, that boys who are bleeders may marry, because they will most likely not transmit the disease; but girls who come from a hemophilic family, irrespective of whether they themselves are hemophilics or not, must not marry, because most likely they will transmit the disease.
Anemia
Anemia is a poor condition of the blood. The blood may contain an insufficient number of red blood cells or an insufficient percentage of the coloring matter of the blood, that is, hemoglobin. A special kind of anemia affecting young girls is called chlorosis. ”

“ In mild cases a slight decrease of hemoglobin is the only blood change noted. In very severe cases, especially in repeated hemorrhages, malignant disease, and infection by the worms uncinaria and bothriocephalus latus, hemoglobin may fall to 15 per cent. Hemoglobin is always diminished, and usually very greatly, in chlorosis, pernicious anemia, and leukemia. ”

“ The dangerous forms of degeneration—the edematous, the cystic, the telangiectatic, and the sarcomatous—occur with sufficient frequency always to be dreaded; and, even though these dangers be avoided, the anemia from the continual hemorrhage exposes the woman to fatal results from the diseases and accidents of daily life. ”

“ Or whether we had not better turn our attention to human beings, and by careful clinical study of our patients, discover where the fundamental error lies, which first induces the formation of an aberrant cell mass, which we call cancer, and then continually feeds it by the same deranged blood stream, so that it becomes utterly uncontrollable and invades and destroys other tissues; while at the same time the anemia, pernicious and progressive in character, gradually saps the life of the patient to a lethal end? ”

“ It carries the hemoglobin to the blood in its most easily assimilable form and its hydrocyanic acid possesses remarkable sedative powers....”
It is not possible for it to have any value in anemia because of its insolubility, yet we are told:
“In conditions marked by poverty of the blood producing anemia or chlorosis, reacting on the nervous system and calling for a chalybeate, hydrocyanate of iron (Tilden’s) takes a front rank among the remedies of this class, combining as it does the blood enriching qualities of ferrum with the sedative action of hydrocyanic acid.” ”

“ Adjusting the Proteins in Diet.—If the individual shows a definite anemia, as is often the case after acute attacks, either as a result of the disease itself or the [Pg 347] necessarily low diet, which the acute symptoms of uremia and edema made necessary, other measures are necessary to bring the body back to a normal condition. It has been found that in these cases where there has been no permanent damage to the renal organs, but merely a temporary impairment of the functioning power, the treatment must be, first, a rest to the affected parts ”

“ Myelocytes are rare.
The red corpuscles show the changes usual in severe secondary anemia. Erythroblasts are seldom abundant. Blood-plaques are decreased.
3. Pseudoleukemia (Hodgkin's disease) resembles lymphatic leukemia in that there is marked and progressive enlargement of the lymph-nodes. There is, however, no distinctive blood-picture. The changes in hemoglobin and red cells resemble those of a moderate symptomatic anemia, with rather low color-index. The leukocytes are commonly normal in number and relative proportions. ”

“ Patients may be divided into light cases, in which the symptoms are very obscure; medium cases, in which the anemia is more or less marked, and severe cases, represented by the dwarfed, edematous, anemic dirt-eater. Infection occurs chiefly in rural sand districts. ”

“ If one recovers from the anemia a second stage of the malady sets in. The body is covered with wart-like growths, presumably due to some alteration in the blood supply to the skin. One attack gives immunity for life, but the death rate during the first stage is very high. ”

“ We must, therefore, always take this special duty into consideration, when the question of recuperation, convalescence, feeding, and the administration of blood foods and tonics comes up.
It is not necessary to specify the diseases from which a child may suffer and recover, in an anemic condition. Any disease may leave a child with temporarily poor blood. The conditions which most frequently produce anemia in childhood are improper feeding and unhealthy surroundings. It is not fully appreciated how seriously these conditions can affect the health of growing children. ”

“ Nobécourt, Tixier, and Maillet have questioned whether there is always complete recovery from this anemia, which is severe from the standpoint of hemoglobin and iron. The older authors reported instances where men have been weakly and ailing for the remainder of their lives after an attack of scurvy. In some infants pallor and anemia may persist for months after apparent cure ”

“ The nitrogenous foods, with the exception of milk, are as a rule eliminated from the nephritic diet. The nurse must study the tables and learn which food materials come under this head. It may seem difficult to prepare diet for the sick without eggs, but it is possible and at times obligatory.
Combating Anemia.—In chronic (ambulatory) nephritis the anemia must be reckoned with. It is not safe to upset the nitrogen equilibrium of the body, but it has been proved that this may be maintained on as little as 30 or 40 grams of protein a day. ”

“ Hemoglobin Reduced by Pyrogallol, Merck.—Reddish-brown powd. containing iron in condition for easy assimilation.—Hematinic, Constructive, Tonic.—Uses: Anemia, chlorosis, chronic nephritis, diabetes, and in convalescence; readily transformed into blood coloring-matter in debilitated people, and uniformly well borne; much superior to inorganic preparations of iron.—Dose: 4—8 grn., 3 t. daily, 1/2 hour before meals, in powd. with sugar, or in pills or chocolate tablets. ”

“ All physicians are aware of the frequent dependence of menorrhagia upon anemia, not only acquired, but congenital. The existence of anemia, or of an imperfect elaboration of the blood and vascular system, previous to the occurrence of the first menstruation, is a possible condition of menstrual disorder that must always be very carefully eliminated before any other cause be assigned. ”

“ Why should we attempt to cure anemia with inorganic iron, hyperacidity of the stomach with baking soda, swollen glands with iodine, the itch with sulphur, ricket conditions in infants with lime water, etc., when these mineral elements are contained in abundance and in live, organic form in fruits and vegetables, herbs and in the vitochemical remedies? ”

“ If we go south from Virginia to the gulf we meet two totally different kinds of anemia, which can be distinguished by the soils on which they occur, the parasites which cause them, the symptoms which result, and the treatment which is necessary. ”

“ They couldn’t do their job. The body had to quit making hemoglobin, because hemoglobin needs iron. So, since there was no hemoglobin in the bloodstream, the patient developed sudden pernicious anemia and died of oxygen starvation.”
Colonel Fennister looked suddenly at Dr. Smathers. “I thought you said the blood looked normal.”
“It did,” said the physician. “The colorimeter showed extra hemoglobin, in fact. But the chelating agent in the fruit turns red when it’s connected up with iron—in fact, it’s even redder than blood hemoglobin. ”

“ Anemia is prevalent throughout the Island, but is more noticeable in the country districts than in the cities, and while the death rate for anemia is not so high as the death rate of some other diseases, yet by reason of weakening the vitality of the sufferers it tends to offer a fertile spot for the incubation of germs of other diseases, and the working and producing power of the individual is lessened with the acuteness of the disease. ”

“ It is not difficult for people with observing eyes to note the difference in satisfaction of children after they get impoverished foods and the natural foods.
Anemia is very common among children, especially among the girls. The chief reason is impoverished foods. Salts can be used by the animal organism only after they have been elaborated by the vegetable kingdom. ”

“ The continuous invasion of the neighboring tissues by the disease, the increasing auto-intoxication and con­sti­pa­tion, the on-coming malnutrition, and anemia, the gradual emaciation, are all the while lessening the vitality and power of bodily resistance of their victims. ”

“ The red cells are liable to become damaged and anemia results. It has now been proved that even tiny doses of alcohol paralyze more or less the white cells, and thus interfere with their power of destroying microbes. Chemical substances tend to exert a delaying or inhibitory influence over the chemical processes of the body. These chemical processes are oxidation, the storing up of nutriment, the manufacture of secretion, the production of energy and muscular movement, and the excretion of waste materials. ”

“ On one drop of blood a day it grows almost to the size of a pin and develops jaws as steely strong as wire-cutters. Multiply these blood-drops by a hundred, by a thousand, and watch the pale anemia that lays the sufferer open to the first epidemic that comes along.
In infected districts the health physician’s job was routine diagnosis and routine treatment. When we had to treat and survey whole villages and tribes within a limited time we gathered as many as we could into an audience and lectured them in whatever language they happened to speak. ”

“ ANEMIC CONGESTION. Diet.—A light supper before retiring, like hot milk, broths, milk punch, etc., will very frequently promote sleep by removing the cause and quickening the circulation. Give nutritious, easy food to digest. The baths are not so valuable for this kind of insomnia. A cold sponge bath or plunge may be of service.
Medicines.—Tonics are needed here as in regular anemia. The patient must be carefully treated, and very many of these cases can be cured. The patient must render all the aid he can give, and the physician should gain his confidence. ”

“ ANEMIA. —A deficiency of red blood corpuscles. The animal is scanty of flesh, hide bound and in a general run-down and debilitated condition. The disease is sometimes called hollow horn. Treatment consists of better food and care. The feed should be of a nature such as will enrich the blood and build up the system. Food of a succulent nature, like roots, green grass, or ensilage, will help out. A tonic, made as follows, will be helpful: Two teaspoonfuls of sulphate of iron, 1 teaspoonful of powdered nux vomica, and 4 tablespoonfuls of [108] ground gentian root. ”

“ Following on the trail of indigestion and intestinal trouble come anemia and malnutrition. The anemic child, suffering with malnutrition, as the result of improper feeding, loses weight steadily, has vomiting and diarrhea, sleeps badly, is listless and pallid. ”

“ In such cases, a faithful observance of the formula of treatment for dyspepsia (see index) will accomplish surprising results.
ANEMIA. This is a disease of the blood, characterized by a deficiency of albumen and red corpuscles. It is a disease that more frequently affects women than men; the very young and the very old are most subject to it, and especially, if of a nervous, irritable or hysterical disposition Among the exciting causes are defective hygiene, poor diet, want of, or excessive exercise, grief, or other strong emotions. ”

“ Chlorosis, a primary anemia chiefly of young girls, characterized by marked relative decrease of haemoglobin.
Causes.—It usually occurs in blondes of from twelve to twenty years of age and most often from fourteen to seventeen years of age, when the menstrual function is being established and during which time they are rushed with their school work. There may be a family history of chlorosis or tuberculosis. Poor food, hard, unhealthy work, confinement in close unventilated rooms are other causes.
Symptoms.—Rounded fleshy appearance may continue. ”

“ As tonics, they are especially indicated in simple anemia; as astringents they are employed locally in bleeding, and, internally, in diarrhea.
The dose of Reduced Iron (Ferrum Reductum) is from 1 to 5 grains (0.06-0.3 gm.) ; of the Pills of Iron Carbonate or Blaud’s Pills (Pilulæ Ferri Carbonatis) , 1 to 3 pills; of the Tincture of Ferric Chlorid (Tinctura Ferri Chloridi) , 5 to 10 minims (0.3-0.6 c.c.) ; of the Solution of Iron and Ammonium Acetate or Basham’s Mixture (Liquor Ferri et Ammonii Acetatis) , 1 to 4 drams (4-15 c.c.) ”

“ The number is much increased in people who live in altitudes of about 8000 feet or more. The greatest decrease occurs in anemia, when they may number less than 1,000,000, and in leukemia, when there may be not more than 2,000,000. ”

“ When larger quantities are ingested such is not the case and the fluid so high in nutrient qualities is utilized by the body for the building up of the depleted tissues. When the emaciation is the result of disease the diet is necessarily adjusted to meet the condition. At times it is most difficult to overcome the anemia and accompanying emaciation on account of the disease precluding the giving of the foods especially designed by nature to produce flesh. This is especially the case in the progressive emaciation in diabetes. ”