BLOOD OF NORMAL YOUNG WOMEN RESIDING IN A SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE

Abstract

An investigation similar to that previously reported in 100 young men residing in the Southern United States¹ has been carried out on 50 women between the ages of 17 and 30 residing in the same region. This work was undertaken, in the first place, to determine the validity of the hypothesis that an anemia of purely climatic origin is present in otherwise healthy persons residing in tropical and subtropical climates and is the cause of the pallid appearance of many of these persons, and, secondly, in order to furnish further data from which to calculate normal blood standards. In spite of the fundamental importance of accurate knowledge in respect to the number of red cells, the amount of hemoglobin and the volume of packed red cells in the blood of normal healthy persons, it is surprising to find on what poor foundation the accepted standards have been based. The usually