EFFECTS ON THE SPINAL CORD 1 93 



In young animals, the spinal cord was observed by Bechterew ('95) to increase 

 in weight in fasting newborn kittens and puppies, even with decrease in body 

 weight. Hatai ('08) found the spinal cord weight apparently normal for the 

 body weight in albino rats underfed from 30 days of age to 170 days, the body 

 weight being retarded to 91.5 g. (controls of same age reaching 146.5 g.). 

 Donaldson ('11a), however, noted an apparent increase in the spinal cord of 

 albino rats held at about 34 g. in body weight from age of 30 days to 51 days. 



The changes in the weights of the spinal cord in young albino rats underfed 

 at various ages by Jackson and his associates are shown in Table 4. In rats 

 held at constant body weight by underfeeding from 3 to 10 weeks of age (or 

 later), Jackson ('15a) found an increase of about 36 per cent in the weight of the 

 spinal cord. In rats underfed from birth, Stewart ('18, '19) obtained still more 

 intensive growth of the spinal cord, which averaged 70 to 83 per cent above the 

 normal for corresponding body weight. In the newborn offspring retarded by 

 maternal underfeeding during pregnancy, however, Barry ('20, '21) did not find 

 this intensive growth, the spinal cord being nearly normal in weight. 



The weight of the spinal cord was found above the normal for corresponding 

 body weight in young steers with growth retarded for long periods on subnormal 

 rations by Trowbridge, Moulton and Haigh ('18), and Moulton, Trowbridge 

 and Haigh ('22, '22a, '22b). This would indicate that in the bovine species, 

 the spinal cord, like the brain and skeleton, shows a persistent growth on a low 

 plane of nutrition. 



Effects of Refeeding. — In young rats amply refed after underfeeding from 3 

 to 12 weeks of age, Stewart ('16) found that the spinal cord had returned to its 

 normal weight in proportion to the body within two weeks. In rats underfed 

 from birth for various periods (resulting in relative hypertrophy of the spinal 

 cord), and then amply refed to body weights of 25 to 75 g., Jackson and Stewart 

 ('19) found the spinal cord 7.5 to 11.2 per cent below normal weight after the 

 longer underfeeding periods, indicating an inhibitory after effect of inanition, 

 similar to that previously mentioned for the brain. Likewise in young rats 

 permanently stunted by early or long periods of underfeeding, Jackson 

 and Stewart ('19a, '20) found that the spinal cord failed to reach a weight 

 proportional to that normally found at corresponding body weight. 



2. Changes in Structure. Human Adults. — Ochotin ('86) described the 

 nerve cells in the spinal cord -of a very emaciated young man (with mandibular 

 necrosis, anemia, chancroids, etc.). The cells appeared normal in form and 

 size, but mostly cloudy or granular; nuclei variable, sometimes normal or even 

 enlarged, rarely appearing filled with lymphoid corpuscles (nuclear 

 fragmentation?). 



In a woman in whom death from chronic starvation was suspected, Placzek 

 ('98, '99) found the spinal cord macroscopically normal, but microscopically 

 showing variable atrophic degenerative changes in the anterior horn cells. In 

 the earlier stages of degeneration the Nissl bodies appear slightly irregular and 

 the nucleus peripherally placed; in advanced stages the Nissl bodies are 

 destroyed, the cytoplasm atrophic, and the nucleus shows pycnosis or karyor- 

 rhexis. In the cervical and thoracic regions of the cord, many of the anterior 



