The spleen and blood eosinopenia.

Within a few hours of injury or burning the number of eosinophils in the blood falls progressively to reach low or zero values and this eosinopenia (Fig. 1) lasts up to a few days (Laragh and Almy, 1948; Roche, Thorn, and Hills, 1950; Hardy, 1950; Sevitt, 1951, 1954; Evans and Butterfield, 195 1). The endocrine control of eosinopenia is known to be due to release of adrenocortical hormones through stimulation of the anterior pituitary, but the manner in which the eosinopenia is produced is in doubt. The question has been recently reviewed by Essellier, Jeanneret, and Morandi (1954). Several possible explanations could account for the eosinopenia, viz., (1) inhibited release of