EFFECTS ON THE INTEGUMENT 121 



Rabl ('85) noted many mitoses in the epidermis of Salamandra atra starved 

 5-7 months. In the epidermis cells (chiefly in the deeper layer) of both young 

 and adult rabbits, Morpurgo ('88, '89, '89a) likewise found mitoses persistent 

 even in extreme starvation, though reduced in number. Mitoses were 

 also found in the peripheral portion of a sebaceous gland in an adult rabbit 

 after death from starvation. In the epidermis cells of starved larvae of Triton 

 taeniatus and 'Triton alpestris, Schultze ('88) observed irregular and lobulated 

 nuclei, with reduced amount of chromatin. "Die Masse des Chromatins der 

 Mitosen bei den Hungerlarven — ich sah immer noch sparliche — ist, wie ich in 

 Uebereinstimmung mit den von Rabl fur Salamandra atra gemachten Angaben 

 finde, dieselbe wie bei den gut genahrten Thieren." 



In a lizard starved 6 days, Konstantinovitsch ('03) found a thinning not only 

 in the basal, Malpighian layer, but also in the layer of pigmented cells. In 

 Diemyctylus viridescens starved for various periods, Morgulis ('n) described a 

 marked atrophy of the epidermis, the decrease in the nucleus being much less 

 than that in the cytoplasm of the cells. Persistent mitosis was also noted. 



Ruzicka ('17) found that in adult Triton cristatus and Triton taeniatus ecdy- 

 sis during fasting occurs twice as frequently as in full-fed controls. Although 

 fasting apparently causes an acceleration of metabolism (in agreement with 

 Child's theory), it does not result in rejuvenation of skin structure. The skin 

 in the fasting adults becomes thinner, but differs in structure from that in normal 

 larvae; the nuclei become chromatin poor, Leydig cells are absent, and keratin- 

 isation is accelerated (though absent in the larval skin, even during fasting). 

 "Es sind also auch die Hungerreduktion als eine Alterserscheinung anzufassen; 

 der absolute Hunger bewirkt schliesslich einen den kiinstlichen Seneszenz 

 analogen Zustand." 



Corium. — Some of the observations above mentioned included the dermis as 

 well as the epidermis. Samuel ('85) observed that in fasting pigeons growth 

 continued four days at a retarded rate in the papillae which produce the large 

 wing feathers. This retarded growth was correlated with a diminished blood 

 supply to the papillae. Harms ('09a) described a degeneration produced in the 

 digital glands of Rana fusca and Rana esculenta during inanition. There is no 

 phagocytosis. The duct resists degeneration longest. Regeneration of the 

 gland occurs upon refeeding. Tornier (07) noted a disappearance of pigment 

 in the skin of underfed salamander tadpoles. Kammerer ('13) in similar experi- 

 ments on Salamandra maculosa found that the richly-fed became yellow, the 

 underfed variably spotted, chiefly black. He admits, however, that in all cases 

 the pigment is reduced in amount by inanition, the black pigment of the chroma- 

 tophores being more resistant than the yellow. Weber ('14) explains the 

 " Hungermelanismus " of frogs as due, not to pigment formation, but merely to 

 expansion of the chromatophores. The integument becomes green again upon 

 refeeding. Ruzicka ('17) found the skin pigment greatly increased in adult 

 fasting Triton cristatus and Triton taeniatus. 



Healing of Skin Wounds. — Collard de Martigny (1828) noted that skin 

 wounds in animals during starvation heal poorly and form an imperfect cicatrix. 

 He explained this as due to the anemia. The process was studied in detail by 



