PHYSIOLOGY OF CORTICAL INSUFFICIENCY 163 



G ASTRO-INTESTINAL DISTURBANCES 



Anorexia is one of the earliest clinical symptoms of adrenal 

 insufficiency in dogs, cats, rabbits, and man. In the rodents 

 some food may be ingested shortly before death but the food 

 and fluid intake is markedly reduced with the advent of in- 

 sufficiency. Usually at the first sign of disinclination to take 

 food, an animal may be tempted by offering it some delicacy. 

 As the insufficiency progresses there is finally a complete 

 aversion to all food. If the animal survives for some time, 

 it may become very thin due to inanition. 



The immediate cause of the anorexia of adrenal insufficiency 

 is still undecided. It may be due perhaps to the inflamma- 

 tion, congestion, or ulceration of the gastro-intestinal tract or it 

 may be secondary to the disturbances in the composition of the 

 blood and the accumulation of the nitrogenous waste products 

 of metabolism. Harrop and his co-workers 268 suggest that the 

 anorexia may be due to the absence of free hydrochloric acid 

 from the stomach. 



Vomiting is a very common symptom in adrenal insufficiency, 

 particularly in dogs. The animal may be unable to retain any 

 food and the introduction of small amounts of fluid through a 

 stomach tube may be followed in a few minutes by its ejection. 

 The vomitus usually contains bile and may be blood stained. 



Watery or bloody diarrhea is a frequent symptom of adrenal 

 insufficiency, particularly in dogs and rabbits, less commonly 

 in cats or rats. 



ASTHENIA AND MUSCULAR WEAKNESS 



As insufficiency develops animals become more and more 

 apathetic. They ultimately refuse to move or take an interest 

 in the surroundings. Animals which preoperatively were ac- 

 tive or ferocious may appear gentle after adrenalectomy due 

 to their disinclination to indulge in any activity. 



A characteristic gait results from the weakness of the hind 

 legs when the insufficiency has progressed to a moderate degree. 



