Experimental Studies on Tuberculous Anemia Part 4. The Causative Factors of Reticulocytes in Tuberculous Anemia

In the former report the author presented how the anemias appearing in the tuberculous infection develop and how the characteristics of these anemias are connected to the pathological findings specific to each period. In this report the author demonstrated the decrease of maturing substances in viscera is responsible for the development of these anemias. 1. By observing the maturing course of reticulocyte from the period of anemia, both primary and secondary, it has been proved that reticulocytes added with the maturing substances from the normal guinea pig spleen mature rapidly as nearly as in the case of reticulocytes from the normal animal, showing that they are almost normal in their ripening ability. 2. The spleen from the animals in these stages, both in the primary and the secondary stages, proved that the contents of maturing substances decreased more than that in the normal spleen showing the lessened ability in the power of acceleration of reticulocyte maturation. 3. The marked delay in the reticulocyte maturation found in the secondary anemia comparing to that in the primary anemia is ascribed to the wide extension of the damaged area in the viscera.