THE EFFECT OF MENTAL STRESS ON THE EOSINOPHIL LEUCOCYTE COUNT IN MAN

¹ The Institute of Physiology, University of Glasgow

1. Hourly eosinophil counts were made in the afternoon on five students engaged in their final examination in operative dental surgery. Four showed a fall of more than 80 per cent; these were obviously anxious. In the fifth the count remained steady; he was unperturbed by the examination.

2. Similar counts on nine subjects performing routine operative dentistry and on nine subjects engaged in routine dental mechanics showed no constant downward trend and no fall greater than 35 per cent of the initial count.

3. The difference between the group under examination stress and the other groups was very highly significant.

4. It is concluded that the mental stress associated with a serious examination can produce a significant fall in the eosinophil count during the examination. A similar influence may be at work in some patients being subjected to medical investigations.

Note:

I wish to thank Professor R. C. Garry and Drs. A. W. Sloan and J. B. de V. Weir of the Institute of Physiology, University of Glasgow, for advice and encouragement during this investigation. I am also greatly indebted to Professor J. Aitchison and Dr. J. Ireland of the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School for clinical facilities, and to the subjects for their willing co-operation.