Abstract
During the course of making some routine blood counts on cats one animal was found with only 350 white blood cells per mm3 and no neutrophils in the peripheral blood. A portion of the liver of this animal was ground up with Alundum in Locke's solution. After settling, the supernatant fluid was used for injection into 5 additional cats. This resulted in the development of the same blood picture in 2 of these 5 cats. Following this a similar preparation was made from the liver of Cat 36 and 6 additional cats injected with this material, part of them receiving the material intraperitoneally and a part subcutaneously. This process was continued as shown in Chart 1 until 13 transmissions were accomplished.
Following injection a typical animal has a period of about 5 days when it appears normal. Then, it is frequently noted that food is left in the cage and the temperature is usually found to be elevated (39° to 41°C by rectum). The animal becomes slightly listless and, after a day or two (i. e., the 6th to the 8th day) may not care to stand on its feet. There is no nasal or eye discharge except in a rare animal. Diarrhea may occur but is, by no means, constant. Coinciding with the pyrexia, anorexia and listlessness there is marked neutropenia and frequently the total white blood cell count goes to a very low level.
Chart 2 represents typical findings as regards the white blood cells in one of the animals that recovered. However, the response is not identical in all animals. In some instances, there is a steady decline until the low point is reached on the 6th to 8th day. In others, there is no change in the level of the white blood cell count until the 6th to 8th day when there is an abrupt fall. In these latter animals, there may be a very high percentage of neutrophils on the day preceding the development of the leucopenia.
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