_
‘(7 - 9 days).
rT
-6-
re
The platelet count may reach very low levels after two weeks.
ternal evidence of bleeding may occur within two to four veeks.
Bx
This group repre-
sents the lethal dose range in the classical pharmacologic sense.
In this group
the symptom free period (the letent period) lasts from one to three weeks with
little clinical evidence of injuries other than slight fatigue.
At the termination
of the latent period, the patient may develop purpura,* epilation oral and cutaneous
lesions, infections of wounds or burns, diarrtea or melena**,
significant.
The mortality will be
With therapy the survival tine can be expected to be prolonged and if
sufficient time is provided for bone marrow regeneration the survival rate will be
increased,
In group 1 (Survival impossible) and group 2 (Survival possible) the blood
picture is not as well documented as in group 3 (Survival probable).
There are
good clinical reasons to believe that in the lethal range the granulocyte depressions
will be marked and below 1,000 per mm during the second week.
in Jepan confirm this contention.
Observat’ons made
However in the sublethal range it takes much
longer for the granulocyte and platelet count of man to reach mnirimal values, as
compared to other mammals, . Despite the chaotic conditions that existed in Hiroshima
the data of Kikuchi and Wekisaka (11) shows that there was a more rapid and marked
decrease in groups 1 (Survival improbable) and group 2 (Survival possible) than in
group 3 (Survival probable).
Before going on to group 3 survival probable, J cannot
refrain from a comment on therapy.
|
Much has been learned from the experimental therapy of radiation injury in -
animals,
It has been conclusively sown thet protection can be afforded by the
transplantation of bone marrow from one strain of animal to another,
The protection
afforded by transplantation of genetically specific material, that is from one
member of the same strain to an irradiated menber of the seme strain, is very good
and long lasting.
If the material for transplentation hes its source in another
strain of mouse, the protection is less marked and not as long lasting.
* Bleeding into skin
** Black stools from digested tlood
If the
.
IDOE ARCHIyr<
;
af