Transactions of the Minnesota State Medical Society Volume 31 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 Excerpt: ... p.m. 14,000 No change except vomiting ceased. Jan. 17, a.m. 14,000 Child better; temp. 99.2. Jan. 17, a.m. 8.000 Child better; temp. 99.4; pain in right side not complained of; bowels moved. Jan. 21. a.m. 12,000 Convalescence. Feb. 3, 3,000 In this case the leucocyte count gave a means of determining the course of the disease, which was not revealed by a study of the clinical symptoms. Another case illustrative of the value of the successive counts is case III: Young man, 25 years, student U. of M., history of one day's pain in right lower abdomen, vomiting, constipation, and tenderness over appendix on palpation. Temp. 99.5. Date. May May 8, p.m. 17,200 May Mav 9,000 7,700 Mav 10, a. m. 4,500 White count. Qinical notes, noon 16,000 Patient in great pain. No change in symptoms; marked pain on pressure over McB.'s point; no palpable tumor. Patient better. Patient better; temp, normal. Patient better; dismissed. In this case the white count was a correct guide to-the course of the inflammation. On the other hand, the count often times, instead of receding steadily, increases even when there is no change in the clinical symptoms. See case 40, Cabot, p. 199: Patient enters with vomiting and localized pain and tenderness in the right abdomen. The first count gave 15,600; three days later it was 22,900, when the patient seemed better and improving; the following day it was 35,300, when the bowels moved and the patient had no fever, yet the white count plainly indicated a severe septic infection. The surgeon was finally persuaded to operate and a large amount of pus was evacuated. So far as the author's experience goes he has always found the white count a safe guide as to the course the inflammation is pursuing, when the counts could be made from the beginning of..