RELATION BETWEEN HEMOGLOBIN, CELL COUNT AND CELL VOLUME IN THE VENOUS BLOOD OF NORMAL HUMAN SUBJECTS

Abstract

In spite of extensive work on these subjects, it cannot be said that the relation between hemoglobin, cell count and cell volume in normal blood has ever been clearly stated. The reason for this must be sought, first, in that most authors in examining normal blood limited their research to one or two of these factors; secondly, in that there exists a considerable confusion in the expression of hemoglobin. Even when 100 per cent, hemoglobin is defined as the color corresponding to an oxygen capacity of 18.5 per cent., the question is not solved. Recently Van Slyke and Stadie¹ have drawn attention to the fact that the Haldane method for determining the oxygen capacity of the blood may give results which are markedly too low (as low as 10 per cent). Thus we get the explanation of the phenomenon that Haldane 2 and his collaborators have found 18.5 per cent,