been found to influence the course of this disease
very favourably. The most recent view of the pathology of the disease is
that it is due to an overgrowth of the bone-marrow leucocytes, analogous
in some respects to tumour growth and caused by the removal of some
controlling mechanism rather than by stimulation. The anaemia
accompanying the disease is due partly to the leucocyte overgrowth,
which takes up the space in the marrow belonging of right to red
corpuscle formation and interferes with it. (G. L. G.)

FOOTNOTE:

[1] The suffix _-phile_, Greek [Greek: philein], to love, prefer, is
in scientific terminology frequently applied to substances that
exhibit such preference for particular stains or reagents, the names
of which form the first part of the word.

BLOOD-LETTING. There are certain morbid conditions when a patient may
obtain marked relief from the abstraction of a certain amount of blood,
from three or four ounces up to twenty or even thirty in extreme cases.
This may be effected by venesection, or the application of leeches, or
more rarely by cupping (q.v.). Unfortunately, in years gone by,
blood-letting was used to such excess, as a cure for almost every known
disease, that public opinion is now extremely opposed to it. In certain
pathological conditions, however, it brings relief and saves life when
no other means would act with sufficient promptness to take its place.

Venesection, in which the blood is usually withdrawn from the
median-basilic vein of the arm, has the disadvantage that it can only be
performed by the medical man, and that the patient's friends are
generally very much opposed to the idea. But the public are not nearly
so prejudiced against the use of leeches; and as the nurse in charge can
be instructed to use these if occasion arises, this is the form of
blood-letting usually practised to-day. From one to twelve leeches are
applied at the time, the average leech withdrawing some two drachms of
blood. Should this prove insufficient, as much again can be abstracted
by the immediate application of hot fomentations to the wounds. They
should always be applied over some bony prominence, that pressure may be
effectively used to stop the haemorrhage afterwards. They should never
be placed over superficial veins, or where there is much loose
subcutaneous tissue. If, as is often the case, there is any difficulty
in making them bite, the skin should be pricked at the des