3. The lesson derived from cell counting

When I was performing the experiment of counting the number of erythrocytes by applying the same method of using the 3% salt solution, I discovered an unexpected phenomenon as a biproduct which may be termed as "Anti-Sphering Factor" of the erythrocytes.

The erythrocytes (bloods) used in the above experiment were obtained from normal persons, patients and doners. In general, the collected bloods were kept in a refrigerator for one or two days, adding an oxalate salt as anticoagulant.

When I mixed the blood immediately after taking it out of the human body with diluted salt solution and tried to count the number of erythrocytes by photoelectric-colordmeter, I noticed that the transmissivity of light becomes unstable, varying as the time goes on. I found the blood of a normal person takes about half an hour or more to become fairly stable on the experiment of counting the number of erythrocytes by the same method.

The microscopic experiment shows that the fresh (unoxalated) blood of a normal person after mixed with 3% salt solution, takes about half an hour or more to be turned into the spheric shape, and it takes much longer time to be changed completely. The tendency of the change is shown on Fig 4[ not given] and 5[not given]. The morphological change was observed by inserting objective lens of microscope into the mixture of blood and diluted salt solution.

However, the bloods of some serious sick patients were quite different from that of the normal healthy person, and I found that they will turn into spheric shape much faster. The banked healthy oxalated blood will also turns to spheric shape very quickly.

Does not the blood of a normal healthy person has some antisphering factor?

Such a question came up to my mind. Later, l had an access to a book written by Ponder and Furchgatt. In the book I noticed they were discussing on the existence of the antisphering factor, but by using an entirely different method of experiment from what I was performing.

Hydrogen-Bomb-test was held at Bikini Atoll by the U.S. Government in 1954. Sensational topics such as "The Status of Survivors" and "5 Lucky Dragons" prevailed over Japan. Many medical scientists were busy studying the affecting of the hydrogen bomb, mainly in the area of leucocytes.

However, I was engaged the study of erythrocytes and was interested in investigating the change of shape of erythrocytes in salt solution with respect to time hy using the colorimeter. I tried my experiments on the erythrocytes obtained from patients of cancer, serious tuberculosis, and of normal healthy persons. From the continuous experiments, I found the following fact: "The required time to change the shape of the erythrocytes of a sick person into spheric in the salt solution experiment is less than that of the normal healthy person.

There is Anti-Sphering Factor in the erythrocytes of human body, and it varies in accordance with the state of health of the human body."