THE RELATION OF THE SPLEEN TO BLOOD DESTRUCTION AND REGENERATION AND TO HEMOLYTIC JAUNDICE : VI. THE BLOOD PICTURE AT VARIOUS PERIODS AFTER SPLENECTOMY.

After splenectomy anemia usually develops quickly and reaches its height in from three to six weeks; then with gradual improvement the blood picture approaches the normal after about three to four months, with complete return to normal in five to ten months. Accompanying this is marked leucocytosis reaching its height in twenty-four hours but persisting to a slight degree for several months. Variations, however, may occur, in that the anemia may develop slowly and be of slight degree, or the reparative process may be delayed and up to ten months incomplete. The anemia is, however, inevitable, as is also, later, some degree of repair.