Knowledge concerning disorders of the blood, especially their treatment, has progressed at a rapid pace in the past few years. It is the purpose of this communication to emphasize treatment of disorders of the greatest interest to the practitioner of medicine.
ANEMIA
There are four types of anemia for which more or less specific types of therapy are available; consequently, every practitioner should keep them in mind. They are (1) the anemia secondary to various types of chronic infection, for which the sulfonamide compounds, the antibiotic agents and surgery are useful; (2) the iron deficiency anemia, usually due to chronic hemorrhage, arising most frequently from the gastrointestinal tract or uterus, for which iron is specific; (3) macrocytic anemia, which occurs chiefly with pernicious anemia, pregnancy, sprue or a dietary deficiency, and for which various anti-pernicious-anemia types of medication are indicated, such as liver extract, folic acid and vitamin B12