EFFECTS ON THE SKELETON 137 



inanition (Jolly '20), a proliferation of leukocytes was found by Sanfelice ('89) 

 and of marrow cells in fasting rabbits by Roger and Josue ('00). Dantschakoff 

 ('09), however, described in the marrow of fasting birds (chick and duck) 

 a general rarefaction of cells with progressive decrease in hemopoiesis. Foa 

 ('99) described the degenerative changes in the megakaryocytes of fasting 

 rabbits. A decrease in the blood-forming elements in human red marrow dur- 

 ing malnutrition was described by Dickson ('08). Lossen ('10) found that in 

 the red bone marrow of fasting rabbits there is a marked decrease in the number 

 of erythroblasts but a relative increase in the number of lymphocytes and 

 myelocytes. Similar changes were observed in human cachexias. Ikeda ('22) 

 observed in the bone marrow of fasting rabbits at first a transient proliferation 

 of the myeloid and (slightly) the erythroblastic elements; later the process 

 becomes normal, but in protracted inanition atrophy of the myeloid tissue 

 occurs. Stefko ('23) concludes from an extensive study of material from 50 

 necropsies that inanition stimulates the formation of myelocytes in the bone 

 marrow, thereby affecting also the blood picture. 



Hibernation. — Some observations have also been made on the- bone marrow 

 during hibernation. According to Pappenheim ('01), in hibernating spermo- 

 philes, the red marrow of the ribs shows only slight changes; but the adipose 

 marrow of the long bones undergoes atrophy proportional to the emaciation of 

 the body. On awakening, this marrow also becomes red. Beretta ('02) 

 noted frequent mitoses in the erythroblasts and leucocytes of the femur marrow 

 in the hibernating hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). 



Cartilage. — The cartilage during inanition has been studied most frequently 

 with reference to its fat content. Manassein ('68, '69) observed in the costal, 

 articular and laryngeal cartilage cells of rabbits a variable number of highly 

 refractive (fatty?) granules, which persisted during starvation. Similarly a 

 persistence of the fat in the cartilage cells during inanition was found by Sacer- 

 dotti ('98, '98-'99, '00) in starving rabbits; and by Bell ('09) in underfed cattle. 

 Rabe ('10) noted an increase in the size of the fat droplets of the cartilage cells in 

 the rabbit's ear during starvation, with a gradual decrease in glycogen content. 



Structural changes in the vertebral column of Triton taeniatus after several 

 months of starvation were described by Harms ('09). Degenerative changes 

 affect first the marrow, with complete disappearance of the fat, enlargement and 

 disintegration of the marrow cell nuclei. Later the cartilage cells are similarly 

 affected, with vacuolar degeneration, nuclear enlargement and karyorrhexis. 

 Ultimately the intervertebral disks become completely fibrous. Podhradsky 

 ('23) noted ultimate resorption of the caudal chorda dorsalis in fasting tadpoles 

 of Rana fusca. 



Degenerative changes were found also by Meyer ('17) in the cartilage cells 

 of the epiglottis and trachea in a man who had starved to death. The greatest 

 degeneration appears in the interior of the cartilage, although surface cells are 

 also affected. The nuclei are pycnotic or absent; and often entire cells have 

 disappeared, leaving empty lacunae. 



Skeletal Changes in the Young. — The dystrophic growth changes in under- 

 nourished young children and animals, with dissociation of growth in height and 



