ABSTRACT
Many of the red blood cell precursors are megaloblastic. There is abnormal vacuolation in marrow cells, and there is an occasional failure of haemoglobin synthesis with accumulation of iron round the nucleus. Withdrawal of alcohol reverses many of the produces indistinguishable changes. The haemoglobin level was generally normal and the single striking abnormal feature was the very large red cell size. Superadded folate deficiency arises in about one third of UK alcoholics and almost all US alcoholics used in studies, due to dietary folate deficiency. The development of folate deficiency was related both to the form of alcohol taken and to the adequacy of diet.
