EFFECTS ON THE MUSCULATURE 1 65 



fasting period, and is apparently sacrificed in part to serve as material in the 

 development of the sex glands. These are conspicuous examples of dystrophic 

 growth changes during adult inanition, certain portions of the body growing at 

 the expense of others, as occurs so generally during chronic inanition in young 

 organisms. 



Human Infants. — In malnourished, athreptic infants, marked atrophy of the 

 musculature has been observed by DeTommasi ('94), Thiercelin ('04) and many 

 others, so that in extreme cases the emaciated body appears reduced to "skin 

 and bones." Ohlmuller ('82) found that in an atrophic infant of 56 days the 

 musculature formed 23.6 per cent of the body, whereas in a "normal" infant of 

 the same age it formed 25.8 per cent. This would indicate that the muscula- 

 ture had relatively lost slightly more than the body as a whole, or had been more 

 retarded in growth. Theile ('84) likewise observed the musculature of an emaci- 

 ated infant apparently forming only about 17 or 18 per cent of the body, 

 the normal at birth being 20-22 per cent. Nicolaeff ('23) found variation in the 

 amount of atrophy in the individual muscles of famine-stricken children. The 

 functionally active muscles of mastication (temporal, masseter) lost relatively 

 less than the biceps brachii, which sometimes lost 50 per cent in weight. 



Young Animals. — In nursing puppies subjected to chronic inanition by insuf- 

 ficient or improper diet, Quattrochi ('01) observed marked emaciation, with 

 atrophy of the skeletal musculature. Aron ('10, '11) noted that in an underfed 

 puppy the musculature formed only 29.3 per cent of the body weight, while 

 in a .full-fed litter-mate control it formed 50.2 per cent. Since the control 

 was much larger, however, the comparison indicates not the loss, but merely 

 the amount of retardation in growth. An initial control of the corresponding 

 body weight is required to determine whether an actual loss in the musculature 

 has occurred. 



In young albino rats held at nearly constant weight by underfeeding for 

 various periods, Jackson ('15a) found a slight increase in the weight of the 

 musculature (Fig. 39; Table 4), a result confirmed by Stewart ('16, '18) and by 

 Jackson and Stewart ('20). In the fetuses of rats subjected to inanition by 

 underfeeding the pregnant mother, however, Barry ('20, '21) obtained a 

 slight loss (or retarded growth) in the weight of the musculature. 



In a thin yearling steer held at maintenance by underfeeding for several 

 months, Trowbridge, Moulton and Haigh ('18) found that the musculature 

 formed 44.5 per cent of the body weight, whereas in a fat control of the same age 

 it formed only 33.1 per cent. This would apparently (though not necessarily) 

 indicate a persistent growth of the musculature during inanition. On the other 

 hand, Thompson and Mendel ('18) believe that in underfed albino mice the 

 characteristic curvature of the spinal column is caused by the arrested growth of 

 the skin and muscle, together with the persistent growth of the vertebral 

 skeleton. 



It maybe noted that although there may be no actual loss in the weight of 

 the musculature, or even a slight gain, in young organisms on chronic inanition, 

 an appearance of emaciation may be produced by the concurrent persistent 

 growth of the skeleton. 



