Abstract
1. The blood picture of lactating women suffering from beriberi will show an increase of reticulocyte and platelet count, a prolongation of the shortest peroxidase stain-time, an acceleration of hemosedimentation rate of red cells and a long continued lymphocytosis; and an administration of vitamin B will reduce these to normal limits. Red cells, hemoglobin, basophiles, eosinophiles and monocytes will not show a remarkable deviation from the normal limits in every stage of the clinical course.
2. An exacerbation of clinical signs was frequently observed in all my cases. A disturbance of circulation will be its clinical mani-festation, and an increase of blood platelet count and an acceleration of hemosedimentation of red cells will be laboratory findings corresponding to the exacerbation.
3. A decrease of the minimal blood pressure will be useful not only to the diagnosis of beriberi in lactating mothers, but also helpful to the prognosis of disease, especially if blood pressure is repeatedly examined.
