252 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



In guinea pigs fasting for various periods up to 8 days, Opie ('04) found a 

 temporary increase in x the eosinophile leukocytes of the blood, followed by a 

 decrease in relative and absolute numbers. This was ascribed to the effects on 

 the bone marrow, although the marrow showed no marked decrease in eosin- 

 ophiles. There was some diminution in the number of eosinophiles in the 

 tissues of the lung and small intestine, and especially in the spleen. On 

 refeeding, the number of eosinophiles appeared irregular. 



Bidault ('04, '04a) noted a slight increase of eosinophiles in the blood of a 

 horse after 1 day without food. 



Cesaris-Demel ('06) observed a marked decrease in the red cells of rabbits 

 with experimental marasmus produced by toxins. This would, perhaps, corre- 

 spond to the condition frequently found in infantile athrepsia. Roger ('07), 

 in 8 rabbits on absolute inanition, found the water content of the blood to under- 

 go a slight increase, but dropping below normal on the 4th day. There was a 

 marked increase on refeeding, with gradual return to normal. 



In a dog starved 8 days, Keuthe ('07) noted at first a decrease in the relative 

 number of polymorphonuclears, with an increase in lymphocytes; later the 

 converse, with recovery on refeeding. In cats, Beeli ('08) observed during 

 the first third of the starvation period an average red cell count of 6,950,000, 

 and total leukocyte count of 10,000. During the last third of starvation, 

 the red cells averaged 8,000,000; the leukocytes 5,400. No morphological 

 changes in the blood cells were found. Schelble ('10) also made some total 

 and differential leukocyte counts in cats during various stages of digestion and 

 starvation. 



Kallmark ('n) made a careful study of the leukocytes in young rabbits 

 (2^-6^-2 months old). Some were subjected to acute inanition, on water 

 alone, for 7-14 days; others were fed barely enough to maintain body weight, 

 18-47 days. Considerable individual variation was found, but there usually 

 appears, especially in acute inanition, a transient decrease in the lymphocytes 

 and amphophiles (pseudoeosinophiles) at the beginning, and a similar increase 

 on refeeding. These fluctuations are correlated with changes in the lymphoid 

 organs. The acidophile and basophile leukocytes undergo no significant change 

 in number, but the latter show rarefaction and peripheral displacement of the 

 basophile granules. Nucleated cells occur rarely in the blood of fasting rabbits, 

 but appear numerous upon refeeding. Argaud and Billard ('n) in 2 rabbits 

 on total inanition noted on the fourth day a hypoleukocytosis, with inversion 

 of the formula (3 mononuclears to 1 polynuclear). 



Howe and Hawk ('12) found that 3 out of 4 dogs fasting for various periods 

 showed a decreased polymorphonuclear count, with an increase in small lympho- 

 cytes; the fourth showed the reverse. The large lymphocytes were variable in 

 2; nearly constant in the other 2. The transitional, basophile and eosinophile 

 blood cells usually appeared nearly constant. The blood became normal on 

 refeeding. One dog on a repeated fast showed a different effect, all leuko- 

 cytes excepting the large lymphocytes being nearly constant. Brasch ('12) 

 studied the effects of various diets upon digestion leukocytosis in the rabbit 

 and dog after 3 days of fasting. 



