Abstract
Summary and Conclusions
Nine hundred sixty-three total white blood cell counts made on 204 normal and apparently healthy young adult male rabbits between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. revealed no statistically significant variation in the hourly means. The blood cell level, apart from sampling variations, was the same for each hour of the day. There was also no evidence of a digestive leukocytosis in the rabbit.
The mean value for 597 leukocyte counts on 190 of the 204 rabbits between 9 a.m. and 12 noon was 7,891, as compared with 7,914 for 366 counts on 136 of the 204 rabbits between 12 noon and 5 p.m. The difference (23± 194) was not significant.
These studies are significant for several reasons: The investigation covered a wide variety of breeds and hybrids. The animals were accustomed to laboratory existence and hemocytologic technic before the counts were made. Feeding conditions were varied during the study. Only one examination was made on a given animal on a given day, and usually not more than one or two counts were made on each animal per week. Finally, the material was analyzed by acceptable biometric procedures and represents by far the most extensive study of the sort which has been made.
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