The success of this treatment is now established. Dr. Weir-Mitchell is anxious to insist on the fact that increase of weight should correspond with increased richness of blood. The number and colour of the red corpuscles of the blood should be examined and estimated during treatment. This is easily-accomplished by means of the delicate instruments designed by both Malassezand Gowers for counting the number of red corpuscles in a minute drop of blood, and estimating the amount of haemoglobin they contain. Dr. Weir-Mitchell insists that there is an intimate association between the gain and loss of fat, and the gain and loss of red blood corpuscles. He therefore finds those cases in which these usual conditions are reversed, when there is an excessive deposit of fat with a decreased number of red blood corpuscles, very intractable and difficult to treat. He recommends that in such cases the patient should be put to bed, massage should be freely used, and the diet restricted to skimmed milk, or to milk and broth free from fat. When the weight is lowered, iron should be freely given, and by degrees a general diet. The red blood corpuscles will be found under this treatment to have increased in number, and as the weight diminishes strength increases, and health is re-established.

Dr. Weir-Mitchell gives a case of a lady, aged forty-five, 5 ft. 4 1/2 in. high, who weighed 190 lbs. (13 st. 4 lbs.). She was anaemic, feeble, and breathless. " She was kept in bed for five weeks. Massage was used at first once daily, and after a fortnight twice a day, while milk was given, and in a week made the exclusive diet. Her average loss for thirty days was a pound a day, and the diet was varied by the addition of broth after the third week, so as to keep the reduction within safe limits.... After two weeks I gave her the lactate of iron every three hours in full doses. On the fourth week additions were made to her diet list, and Swedish movements were added to massage, which was applied but once a day; and during the fifth week she began to sit up and move about. Her weight at the seventh week had fallen to 145 lbs., and her appearance has decidedly improved.... Now, after two years, she is a well and vigorous woman."