54 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



wrapped in paper and quite dry in wooden boxes, and thus wholly without 

 food, and many of them are at this day alive and active." 



In various species of (edible) Helix during starvation, Sabrazes ('02) found: 

 "La perte de poids peut se chiffrer par la moitie du poids primitif, et cela 

 dans un laps de temps de quelques jours au bout dequels les escargots s'accolent 

 les uns aux autres et sont proteges contre la dessication par une mince membrane, 

 d'une aspect parchemine, parfois creusee d'un petit opercule, tendue a orifice 

 de la coquille. Les animaux peuvent rester ainsi, a l'etat de vie latente, plus- 

 ieurs mois . . . M. Devaux a observe aussi des faits analogues." 



More recently Krahelska ('13) found that Helix pomatia endures starvation 

 at i7°C. for six months to a year, but that Helix arbustorum is less resistant. 



Slowtzoff ('03a) found in Helix pomatia subjected to total inanition a gradual 

 loss of body weight up to 25.74 per cent, the loss affecting the shell as well as 

 the soft parts. The change in chemical composition was determined. 



From their experimental studies on the cytology of invertebrate nerve 

 cells, especially in the molluscs Planorbis, Limax agrestris, and Limax maximus, 

 Smallwood and Rogers ('08, '09, '10,) conclude that the lipochrome pigment 

 granules contained in these cells vary according to nutritive conditions. They 

 slowly decrease in size and number during hibernation and prolonged starvation, 

 with corresponding increase in cytoplasmic vacuolation. The pigment granules 

 in the nerve cells of Limax maximus disappear entirely in advanced starvation, 

 apparently with no shrinkage of the cell body or nucleus. The granules repre- 

 sent stored nutriment, probably comparable to the Nissl bodies. Legendre 

 ('09) described in detail the various forms of degeneration observed in Helix 

 pomatia after prolonged inanition and other nutritional disturbances. The 

 cell changes are variable, including chromatolysis and cytoplasmic vacuolation. 



Although hibernation represents a special condition not comparable to 

 ordinary starvation, it may be noted that Cattaneo ('92) observed decreased 

 ameboid activity in the blood cells of Helix during hibernation; and Erhard 

 ('11) found a decrease in the glycogen droplets in the nerve cells and surrounding 

 glia tissue. I have not been able to obtain the thesis by Bellion ('09), but 

 Moglia ('10) and Legendre ('13) noted an apparent increase in the pigment 

 granules of the nerve cells during hibernation. 



The most extensive study of inanition in molluscs was made by Krahelska 

 ('10, '12, '13). In her first ('10) paper, the losses in body weight were found 

 subject to variation according to individuals and species {Helix pomatia, 

 Helix arbustorum, Helix jruticum and Leucochroa candidissima), the total loss 

 varying from 10.76 — 47 per cent or more. In general the loss during hiber- 

 nation is much less than that during a corresponding period of inanition while 

 awake. 



After two months of starvation, the kidneys of Helix arbustorum show 

 marked histological changes. The cytoplasm of the epithelial cells becomes 

 greatly reduced in amount and often syncytial in character, being homogeneous, 

 finely fibrillated or vacuolated (beginning degeneration) . It also shows enlarged 

 concretions in vacuoles. The nuclei are sometimes enlarged and vesicular, 

 sometimes almost pycnotic. After four months, these changes are more pro- 



