The distribution curve of erythrocyte fragility; a different method of presentation of fragility of erythrocytes to hypotonic saline, with preliminary remarks on the function of reticulocytes.

INTRODUCTION F OLLOWING Haden’s1#{176}demonstration of the close correlation between spherocytosis and the fragility of erythrocytes to hypotonic saline, Dameshek and Miller5 postulated that spherocytosis was a preliminary stage in the destruction of the red cell; i.e. partial hemolysis. They were able to show experimentally that the degree of spherocytosis was related to the concentration of hemolysins in the blood and that this was also correlated with fragility. They also described cases of acquired hemolytic anemias with spherocytosis and increased fragility, thus emphasising the danger of using spherocytosis and increased fragility as criteria for the diagnosis of familial acholuric jaundice. In addition, they demonstrated the presence of hemolysins in a number of cases of hemolytic anemia.6 ‘ ‘