Date of Award
5-1936
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
First Advisor
J. Ralph Wells
Keywords
Rabbits -- Physiology, Smoke -- Physiological effect, Blood -- Analysis
Abstract
The problem involved in this investigation is that of determining what changes in the blood pictures of normal adult rabbits result from subjecting these animals to the smoke of various kinds of material. The blood picture as used in this study includes the hemoglobin percentage, the red and white cell counts, and the differential white cell count.
The procedure used was that of taking the blood picture of normal rabbits immediately before and after subjecting them to the smoke for the three one-hour periods whit one-hour rest intervals between the smoking periods. This was done daily with each animal for periods ranging from four to ten day.
The findings are summarized as follows:
1. Rabbits subjected to the smoke of cigarettes, white cigarette papers, tobacco alone, and ground coffee showed significant increase in the hemoglobin percentage, pseudo-eosinophiles, red cells and white cells with a marked decrease in the percentage of lymphocytes.
2. Four tests made on one rabbit subjected to the smoke of marihuana (tobacco mixture in the proportions of 1:2, 2:3) showed an increase in hemoglobin percentage, white cells, and pseudo-eosinophiles, with a decrease in the number of red cells and lymphocytes. Since, however, the number of tests made with this material was relatively small it is possible that these results might not be significant.
3. Of the five animals treated with the smoke of white cigarette papers alone, a stroking difficulty, apparently of respiratory origin, was encountered, which resulted in the death of 4 of the 5 animals during the testing period or very soon thereafter. The remaining one was severely incapacitated.
4. A control series handled in exactly the same manner as the several test series, except that the animals were not subjected to any smoke, showed small and inconsistent differences between the tests made before placing them in the chamber and those taken immediately after removing them from it.
This evidence seems to warrant the following conclusions:
1. Our results indicate that in general the blood pictures of rabbits subjected to the smoke from cigarettes, cigarette papers, ground coffee, marihuana (tobacco mixture), and tobacco alone, are very much alike.
2. The physiological effect obtained with cigarette papers appeared to be much more series than those of the other smokes used, as four out of the five animals treated died during the time of testing or soon thereafter.
Recommended Citation
Dennis, Parley Wallace, "A study of the blood picture of rabbits subjected to various types of smoke" (1936). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 728.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/728
