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Il comportamento dei globuli bianchi negli ammalati di tubercolosi polmonare trattati coll autosieroterapia
J u n e , 1937]
BOOK NOTICES
In the chapter on surgery, for obvious reasons, no detailed directions on operative technique can b e given, the authors confining themselves mainly to indicating what the various surgical mdasures are and the type of case in which they are usually employed. The teaching is necessarily somewhat dogmatic, and not everyone will agree unreservedly with some of the statements made. The epigrammatic dictum that " when you can divide adhesions you need not, and when you need to, you c a n n o t " needs a little more explanation. More teaching on the principles of selective collapse might perhaps have been given with ad-
407
vantage; but where space is limited opinions will doubtless always differ as to the particular points on which stress might most usefully be laid. The chapter on the pneumonias is particularly good, helpful details being given on symptomatic treatment in this disease, the various forms of oxygen tents, serum treatment and blood transfusion. The book, which contains some wellchosen skiagrams, may be unreservedly commended to the general practitioner who will find in it all the practical guidance which he is likely to need for the care of patients suffering from any form of respiratory disease.
ABSTRACTS. OLINIOAL PATHOLOGY. TUhIINO, G. II comportamento dei globuli bronchi neglt a m m a l a t l di tubercoloei polmonare t r a t t a t t cell' autosieroterapta, l~iv. di Patol. e Clin. d. Tubercolosi, 1936, iO, 164. As the result of his observations on 10 cases, the writer comes to the following conclusions : (1) Autoserotherapy is an intense biological stimulus which becomes obvious in spite of its irregularities in the curves of total leucocytests and neutrophil leucocytosis, but especially in the curves of Arneth's scheme. (2) The constant findings after injection of the patients' own serum are : (a) Increase in the total number of leucocytes; (b) neutrophil leucocytosis (these two phenomena reach their maximum five hours after injection, indeed sometimes in three hours) ; (c) less constantly, there is a shift to the left of Arneth's scheme which always presents considerable oscillations. (3) The results observed by the author did not appear to bear any relation t o the therapeutic effects obtained nor to the gravity of the specific lesion, with the possible exception of the very severe cases which proved rapidly fatal, nor to the quantity of serum injected.
TURLETTI, A., and ASTORRI, P. La valutazione elinica dei mutamenti morphologiche del sangue nella tubercolosi polmonare. 1~iv. d i P a t o L e Clin. d. Tubercolo.~i, 1936, lO, 171. As the result of extensive hmmatological researches in about 30 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the authors come to the following conclusions: Of all the changes in the elements of the blood the modifications in the number of the leucocytes are of the most importance, as they are closely related to the defensive and reactional capacity of the system. High values are of good prognosis, especially if they are accompanied by a diminution in the number of the neutrdphils. The leucocyte count undergoes cllanges which are almost always related to the actual clinical condition. Sabraz~s's index is almost invariably raised in active ttrberculosm, and is constantly low in forms which have been stationary for some time. The low values of Tarletti's index are of bad prognosis as regards the course of the disease. All the other investigations of the authors turned out to be of little diagnostic or prognostic importance.
BOOK NOTICES
In the chapter on surgery, for obvious reasons, no detailed directions on operative technique can b e given, the authors confining themselves mainly to indicating what the various surgical mdasures are and the type of case in which they are usually employed. The teaching is necessarily somewhat dogmatic, and not everyone will agree unreservedly with some of the statements made. The epigrammatic dictum that " when you can divide adhesions you need not, and when you need to, you c a n n o t " needs a little more explanation. More teaching on the principles of selective collapse might perhaps have been given with ad-
407
vantage; but where space is limited opinions will doubtless always differ as to the particular points on which stress might most usefully be laid. The chapter on the pneumonias is particularly good, helpful details being given on symptomatic treatment in this disease, the various forms of oxygen tents, serum treatment and blood transfusion. The book, which contains some wellchosen skiagrams, may be unreservedly commended to the general practitioner who will find in it all the practical guidance which he is likely to need for the care of patients suffering from any form of respiratory disease.
ABSTRACTS. OLINIOAL PATHOLOGY. TUhIINO, G. II comportamento dei globuli bronchi neglt a m m a l a t l di tubercoloei polmonare t r a t t a t t cell' autosieroterapta, l~iv. di Patol. e Clin. d. Tubercolosi, 1936, iO, 164. As the result of his observations on 10 cases, the writer comes to the following conclusions : (1) Autoserotherapy is an intense biological stimulus which becomes obvious in spite of its irregularities in the curves of total leucocytests and neutrophil leucocytosis, but especially in the curves of Arneth's scheme. (2) The constant findings after injection of the patients' own serum are : (a) Increase in the total number of leucocytes; (b) neutrophil leucocytosis (these two phenomena reach their maximum five hours after injection, indeed sometimes in three hours) ; (c) less constantly, there is a shift to the left of Arneth's scheme which always presents considerable oscillations. (3) The results observed by the author did not appear to bear any relation t o the therapeutic effects obtained nor to the gravity of the specific lesion, with the possible exception of the very severe cases which proved rapidly fatal, nor to the quantity of serum injected.
TURLETTI, A., and ASTORRI, P. La valutazione elinica dei mutamenti morphologiche del sangue nella tubercolosi polmonare. 1~iv. d i P a t o L e Clin. d. Tubercolo.~i, 1936, lO, 171. As the result of extensive hmmatological researches in about 30 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the authors come to the following conclusions: Of all the changes in the elements of the blood the modifications in the number of the leucocytes are of the most importance, as they are closely related to the defensive and reactional capacity of the system. High values are of good prognosis, especially if they are accompanied by a diminution in the number of the neutrdphils. The leucocyte count undergoes cllanges which are almost always related to the actual clinical condition. Sabraz~s's index is almost invariably raised in active ttrberculosm, and is constantly low in forms which have been stationary for some time. The low values of Tarletti's index are of bad prognosis as regards the course of the disease. All the other investigations of the authors turned out to be of little diagnostic or prognostic importance.