302 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



tissues (especially the lymphoid and epithelial), and the normal weight and 

 structure may be promptly restored. If the inanition has been severe or 

 prolonged, however, recuperation is usually slow and difficult. In adult starva- 

 tion or infantile atrophy and similar conditions in experimental inanition, the 

 degenerative lesions in extreme cases may render recovery impossible. 



i. MOUTH, PHARYNX AND ESOPHAGUS 



The data as to the effects of inanition upon these segments of the alimentary 

 canal are scanty. The teeth have already been discussed in Chapter VIII. 



The Mouth. — Rabl ('85) found many mitoses in the tongue glands of Sala- 

 mandra atra starved 5-7 months. Morpurgo ('88, '89) noted persistent 

 mitoses in the epithelium of the lingual mucosa and palate in both young and 

 adult rabbits during fasting. The mitoses occur chiefly in the deeper layer 

 of cells. No abnormality in the chromatin was noted. Porter ('89) noted 

 furring of the human tongue as characteristic in chronic famine, though it may 

 become raw and denuded when diarrhea and dysentery set in. "The epithelial 

 tissue was very oily, and a true fatty transformation seemed to affect the deeper 

 layers of epithelium in greater or less extent, leading to an imperfect develop- 

 ment of the growing cells and ready detachment of those already formed." 



Reese ('13, '13a) found no significant change in the digestive tract (includ- 

 ing tongue, palate and esophagus) of the hibernating alligator. 



Ott ('24) noted that during hibernation and subsequent inanition in the 

 frog (Rana pipiens), with progressive loss of body weight up to 60 per cent, the 

 tongue (unlike the skeletal musculature) shows no definite change in weight 

 (Table 6), and therefore becomes relatively much larger. 



Lesions of the oral mucosa, with stomatitis, etc., were noted by Chittenden 

 and Underhill ('17) in a dog with experimental pellagra, and similar effects are 

 mentioned by Harris^ ('19) in human pellagra. Inflammation, hemorrhages 

 and ulceration of the gingival mucosa, especially in the peridental region, are 

 well known symptoms of human scurvy, as noted, for example, by Sato and 

 Nambu ('08), Bierich ('19) and Comrie ('20). The changes are reviewed in 

 detail by Hess ('20). Beach ('23) found pustules in the mouth, pharynx and 

 esophagus of fowls on diets deficient in vitamin A . 



Tiedemann ('36) cited observations indicating dryness of the mouth and 

 throat during thirst in man and animals. Falck and Scheffer ('54), in a dog on 

 aqueous inanition (dry diet) for 4 weeks with loss of 20 per cent in body weight, 

 observed an apparent loss of only about 8 per cent in the tongue (with hyoid) 

 and the same in the esophagus. In fowls on a dry diet, Pernice and Scagliosi 

 ('95a) found the tongue showing marked passive hyperemia. The most super- 

 ficial muscles appeared pale, with the muscle fibers cloudy and desiccated in 

 appearance; cross-striation partly absent. The cells of the lingual cartilage 

 appeared atrophic and shrunken, with some cells degenerated into amorphic 

 granular masses. The crop (a dilation of the esophagus) likewise appeared 

 hyperemic and hemorrhagic, with variably atrophic gland cells. Small cell 

 infiltration occurred in the mucous, submucous and muscular tunics. The 

 muscle cells were pale and cloudy, with poorly stained nuclei. 



