Thin Blood. Chlorosis. Green Sickness.
From a great many causes the blood may become impoverished or be altered in character to such an extent as to prevent the proper sustenance of tissues and thus permit degenerate changes to take place. Sometimes the general amount of blood is less than it should be, and again there is a deficiency of albumen in the liquor sanguinis. As a rule the term anæmia is used to designate a deficiency of the red blood corpuscles. The causes of anæmia are numerous; improper diet; too great an amount of starchy foods and too little meats being eaten; deficiency of food; poor surroundings; too little sunlight[1]; impure air; over study or too great mental exertion with insufficient bodily exercise; too rapid growth; excessive discharges, as in profuse menstruation or chronic abscesses, etc.; all these may bring about anæmia. But there is often anaemia with certain chronic diseases, such as cancer, scrofula, consumption, syphilis, Bright's disease, bleeding piles, etc.; also it may arise from impoverishment of the blood by the use of mercury, arsenic, antimony and other poisons. Men are not as liable to it as women. Girls just after puberty are peculiarly apt to manifest anæmia.[2]
Symptoms. — Paleness of the face is always present, and general muscular weakness and a loss of energy are complained of, with exhaustion after slight exertion. Cold extremities, fainting, dizziness and palpitation are frequent, the pulse growing weaker and more easily varying as the condition advances. Constipation and headache are almost invariable symptoms. Girls are apt to have a waxy and greenish appearance of the face with the skin extremely soft and loose and the whites of the eyes looking pearly. In long continued cases dropsy may follow and functional derangements of various organs may become manifest; exhaustive diarrhœa may set in, and the peculiarities of appetite may become so great, or the stomach so sensitive that it may be impossible to take sufficient nourishment. Bleeding from the nose is common; and menstruation is interfered with, irregular and deficient in quantity and painful. It is possible for death to occur during a prolonged faint which may happen in severe cases of anæmia.
Treatment. — Rest from compulsory labors, such as business and study, must be obtained. An abundance of fresh air and moderate outdoor exercise should be provided. Going to the sea shore or up in the mountains is beneficial. Sunshine must be admitted freely to the house and must be courted outside. Salt water baths with friction[3] are of advantage. Nourishing food must be supplied — broths, lean meats, game, eggnog (without alcoholic liquor) and other simple foods should be taken frequently. Care and hygienic measures can be almost entirely depended upon. Medicines may aid. The bowels should be kept open by mild but laxative liver pills. Iron is often praised as a maker of red blood corpuscles, but its reputation is not well founded.[4] Tartrate of iron and potassa two grains and sulphate of hydrastia one grain, put together in a capsule and taken one hour after each meal, will aid intestinal digestion and thus nourishment will enter into the blood. The Compound Syrup of Mitchella (see formulas) often serves as a good tonic. Of course, if anæmia is the result of cancer, consumption, etc., no medication will avail, Often it is a result, as mentioned, of other troubles which may be overcome, and then the blood with proper care will return to its normal condition.[1] Vitamin D, synthesized in the skin with sun exposure, has been linked to red blood cell count in a number of studies.
[2] Preschool-age children have the highest incidence of anaemia according to the World Health Organization.
[3] "Friction" here refers to vigorous rubbing with a wet linen cloth.
[4] Iron supplementation is often prescribed for anemia - iron deficiency is the most common cause of the disease.