Abstract
In the present paper I examined the blood platelet count of 109 apparently healthy lactating mothers with different Arakawa's reaction who had for a more or less long time been taking a vitamin B preparation.
The platelet count of 8 Arakawa-positive mothers (Group I) was within the normal limits in 88%. of the cases, and only 12%, showed a slight increase of the count. The count of Group II (the group having better intermediate Arakawa's reaction) showed a normal count in 40% of all 10 cases, a slight increase in 50%, a moderate increase in 10% The count of Group III (the group of the worse intermediate Arakawa's reaction) showed a normal count in only 25% of all 44 cases, a slight increase in 59%, a moderate increase in 14% and a, remarkable increase in 2%. The count of Group IV (completely or almost completely negative Arakawa's reaction) showed a normal. count in only 19% of all 47 cases, a slight increase in 62%, a moderate increase in 13%, and a remarkable increase in 6%. The average count, was 351 thousands in Group I of Arakawa's reaction, 408 thousands in. Group II, 450 thousands in Group III, and 462 thousands in Group IV.
As I stated in my preceding paper, 1) there is a certain parallelism between the blood platelet count of lactating mothers and the intensity of their Arakawa's reaction: Higher count and weaker reaction, orlower count and stronger reaction.
It is interesting to note the following about the average count in each group. In the groups (Groups II, III and IV) of cases with negative Arakawa's reaction, the average count is always smaller in thecases with vitamin B intake than in those without it. But in the group of cases with positive Arakawa's reaction or in the group of cases with “good” or normal milk-the average count is about thesame in the cases without vitamin B intake as in the cases with it.
