EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN 



175 



had probably lost over 40 per cent in body weight. Porter concluded that the 

 brain wastes like other tissues, but to a lesser extent, "and no doubt to this is 

 due the effusion of serum into the subdural and subarachnoid cavities so fre- 

 quently found in these cases." The relatively slight loss in the dropsical cases 

 was ascribed to edema in the brain substance. 



Marchand ('02) found no significant difference in brain weight as the result 

 of inanition. Matiegka ('04), however, in adults from 20 to 59 years of age, 

 obtained average brain weights as shown in the accompanying table. 



Average Brain Weight in Different Conditions of Nutrition (Matiegka '04) 



Comparing the extremes, Matiegka's data would indicate a loss in brain weight 

 of about 7.3 per cent for the men, and of 5.6 per cent for the women. 



Krieger ('20) similarly compared the brain weights in several groups of 

 emaciated adults with various norms, as indicated in the accompanying table. 

 The apparent loss in body weight, estimated by comparing with Gartner's 

 norm for body length, ranged from 36-48 per cent in the various groups. 

 The loss in brain weight was estimated by comparison with the norms of (1) 

 Marshall, based on age and height; (2) Bischoff, based on body weight; and (3) 

 Marchand, based on age and height. 



Average Brain Weight in Various Conditions of Emaciation in Adults. All Males, 

 Except as Indicated in Group I. From Autopsies in the Pathological Institute, 



Jena (Krieger '20) 



1 Making allowance for the normal decrease with age. 



From these data, Krieger concludes that it is doubtful whether the human brain 

 loses appreciably in weight during inanition, although comparison with Mar- 

 chand's norm indicates a small but fairly constant loss of 2.8-5.6 per cent. 



