EFFECTS ON THE SKELETON I 55 



experiments with young rats held at nearly constant body weight by dry diet 

 for periods of 1-13 weeks, Kudo ('21a) found in general a progressive increase 

 in skeletal weight, reaching a maximum average of about 40 per cent increase 

 in the ligamentous skeleton, 58 per cent in the cartilaginous skeleton, and 32 

 per cent in the humerus and femur alone (Table 10). 



The only data for structural changes in the skeleton during aqueous inanition 

 are apparently those by Pernice and Scagliosi ('95a). In a dog which died after 

 11 days on dry bread, with body loss of 24 per cent, the bones were noted as 

 showing a moderate stasis hyperemia. Three young chicks were fed dry maize 

 and lost 34-41 per cent in body weight in 8-10 days. At autopsy, no 

 change was noted in the periosteum and osseous tissue, but the marrow appeared 

 dark red in color. Microscopically cells of the cartilage in the lingual region 

 appeared markedly atrophic, with zigzag borders and poorly stained nuclei. 

 In some cases, the entire cell had degenerated into an amorphic granular mass. 



So far as known, the skeletal changes, both in weight and structure, during 

 aqueous inanition are thus similar to those found during total inanition or on 

 water alone (Table 4). This is perhaps due, at least in part, to the invariable 

 lessening of the food intake on a dry diet, which would naturally produce under- 

 nourishment. 



