184 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



the achromatic parts and the nucleus are affected only in later stages. Degenera- 

 tion of the dendrites was not observed. Since the cytological changes resemble 

 toxic lesions, they concluded that the effects of inanition may be through 

 autointoxication. Soukhanoff ('98, '98a), however, suggested that the toxic 

 agents may interfere with the cellular nutrition, which might explain the simi- 

 larity of toxic and inanitional lesions. 



Daddi ('98, '98a) also found that in fasting dogs the nerve cell changes 

 are in general slight, appearing in but few cells and in late stages of inanition. 

 The chromatic (Nissl) substance undergoes a variable degree of chromatolysis; 

 later the achromatic portion becomes degenerated and vacuolated. In general, 

 the lesions appear more pronounced in the cerebrum, cerebellum and spinal 

 ganglia than in the brain stem and spinal cord; the spinal ganglion and Purkinje 

 cells being affected more than the cerebral. Daddi opposes the autointoxication 

 theory of Lugaro and Chiozzi. Changes similar to those described by Daddi were 

 found by Puglisi-Allegra ('00) in fasting dogs and guinea pigs. Marinesco 

 ('00) and Muhlmann ('10) claimed that chronic nutritional disturbances of 

 the nerve cells in the brain and cord result in pigment formation. 



Marchand and Vurpas ('01) in fasting rabbits and guinea pigs found no 

 appreciable changes in the cerebellum. The lesions in the cerebral cortex appear 

 similar to, but slighter than, those in the spinal cord, which will be given in the 

 next chapter. Geeraerd ('01) found the chromatolysis in the cortical cells of 

 the guinea pig slighter in prolonged inanition than in fatigue. Weygandt ('04) 

 briefly describes cortical lesions produced in mice by starvation or insomnia. 

 Panella ('06) found a decrease in the nuclein content of the brain in fasting dogs. 

 Donaggio ('06, '07), using the silver method, found the neurofibrillae in the 

 nerve cells of adult rabbits very resistant to either inanition or cold alone, but 

 markedly affected by their combination. In general, the fibrolysis is less easily 

 produced than chromatolysis. Coarser bands appear in the fibrillar network, 

 probably by fusion of the fine neurofibrillae. The extent and character of the 

 changes vary in different individuals, and also in different parts of the central 

 nervous system. In the cerebral cortex, the lesions are less intense than in the 

 cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord. Vacuolation of the cells frequently 

 occurs. Marinesco ('06, '09) described a hypertrophy of the neurofibrillae in 

 nerve cells of kittens subjected to inanition, especially in combination with 

 cold or intoxications. 



Riva ('05, '07) found the neurofibrillae of the nerve cells in fasting dogs and 

 rabbits in general very resistant to inanition, but the appearance may be greatly 

 changed by the cytoplasmic vacuoles, which may displace and modify the neuro- 

 fibrillar network. If the vacuoles are small or absent, the network remains 

 normal. Balli ('07) produced marked lesions in the neurofibrillar network by a 

 combination of inanition and thyro-parathyroidectomy. 



In cats subjected to starvation, Beeli ('08) observed that in spite of the failure 

 of the nervous system to lose in weight, degenerative changes occur in the nerve 

 cells. In the cerebellum, the Purkinje cells undergo progressive shrinkage and 

 vacuolation. The changes are less marked in the cerebral cortex. The gray 

 and the white substance contrast sharply in gross appearance. 



