Vel And Others

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31028, 6 April 1966, Page 3

Vel And Others

During the Second World War when blood transfusions in the field often got into the headlines. there were four main “blood groups." known to every serviceman.

His blood group—most often 04—was stamped on his identity disc. Since then, blood typing has become more sophisticated. more discriminating. In a sense, it parallels the proliferation of atomic particles to sub-particles, which have grown from a handful to well over 100.

More than a score of blood types are now identifiable. and, as in nu-

clear physies. there are many anti-sera, corresponding to anti-particles. The nomenclature of these blood groups is direct.

Sometimes the group is named after the Initials of a patient in which the first specimen is noticed. This sort of thing leads to designations like negative vel.

Vel in this particular case, was the surname of a woman whose blood type was described in French medical journals in 1952.

But only specialists know how such terms originate and what their significance is.