PART II 



THE EFFECTS OF INANITION 

 UPON VERTEBRATES 



The second part of the present work concerns the effects of inanition upon 

 vertebrates, including man. The general effects upon the body as a whole 

 will be considered first, followed by chapters upon the various systems and 

 organs of the vertebrate body. In general, each organ or part will be considered 

 in relation to the effects of (A) total inanition, or on water alone; or (B) the 

 various forms of partial inanition (deficiencies in protein, salts, vitamins, etc.). 

 As previously noted, subsistence on water alone, although by definition a 

 form of partial inanition, is for convenience considered with total inanition, 

 on account of their similarity in effects. 



CHAPTER IV 



EFFECTS OF INANITION ON THE BODY AS A WHOLE 



The effects of inanition upon the vertebrate body are of great interest and 

 importance in relation to the corresponding conditions met in human famine and 

 disease. The general effects will first be summarized briefly, followed by a 

 more detailed consideration of the data. 



Summary of the Effects of Total Inanition on the Body as a Whole 



The duration of inanition among vertebrates (as in invertebrates) varies 

 exceedingly, ranging from a few days in small birds and mammals to possibly 

 years in some reptiles. In general, the period of endurance is greater if water 

 is allowed; in larger and older than in smaller and younger animals; in carnivora 

 than in herbivora; and in cold-blooded than in warm-blooded animals. An 

 increased amount of stored food reserves, especially of fat, increases the endur- 

 ance, while exercise and cold are unfavorable. In general, all factors are 

 effective in proportion to their influence upon metabolism. Also the duration 

 of human disease is often limited by the capacity to withstand the inanition 

 involved. 



The relative loss in body weight during inanition is subject to less variation, 

 the maximum averaging about 40 per cent (range 30-50 per cent), as shown by 

 Chossat ('43) and many later observers. The loss in general is less in younger 

 and greater in fat animals, and is also somewhat variable according to the type 

 of inanition, species and environment. The curve of loss in body weight is 

 logarithmic in type, resembling an inverted growth curve. The head loses 



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