EFFECTS ON THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT 4OI 



Papanicolaou and Stockard ('20, '22) observed that in underfed guinea pigs 

 the uterus as well as the ovary appeared congested, with rare occurrence of 

 uterine (gland) cysts. 



Barry ('20, '21) discovered that if albino rats are severely starved during 

 the first half of pregnancy, the embryos and membranes are resorbed; while in 

 the second half of pregnancy the fetuses are born at term, but variably reduced 

 in size. In the rabbit, Reeb ('05) and others have noted abortions produced by 

 inanition, as mentioned in Chapter IV. Moehl ('22) likewise found more 

 frequent abortions in underfed cattle. 



Osterud ('23) noted that in the albino rat undernutrition markedly affects 

 the uterine weight. 



Ott ('24) found that in the leopard frog (Rana pipiens) during hibernation 

 and subsequent inanition with loss in body weight up to 50 percent, the oviducts 

 undergo an atrophy relatively almost equal to that of the ovaries, with a final 

 loss of 81 per cent (Table 6). 



As shown by the data in Table 3, the weight of the uterus in atrophic human 

 infants is very low, even when allowance is made for the normal postnatal 

 decrease in uterine weight. 



Partial Inanition.- — Campbell ('07) found that on various abnormal diets 

 (especially of meat), the uterus of the rat may undergo arrested growth with 

 fibrosis and other abnormalities of structure. It is not clear what dietary 

 deficiencies were involved. 



The frequent occurrence of amenorrhea in connection with malnutritional 

 edema (due chiefly to protein deficiency) was mentioned above in connection 

 with the ovary. 



In pellagra, as before mentioned, Raubitschek ('15) found inflammatory 

 lesions of the uterus as well as of the ovary. 



In albino rats on diets deficient in vitamin B, Hatai ('18) observed in the 

 uterus "an unusual yellow color indicating the presence of some fatty degenera- 

 tion or other pathological alteration." In scurvy, Hess ('20) mentions the 

 occurrence of uterine hemorrhages. 



As above mentioned, Evans and Bishop ('22, '22a, '23) found that a dietary 

 deficiency in vitamin A causes a marked disturbance of the estrous cycle through 

 a direct effect upon the ovary. They also ('22a, '23, '23a, '23b) claim the dis- 

 covery of a hitherto unrecognized dietary factor "X," which is essential for 

 reproduction, and is concerned with normal placentation. Upon diets normal 

 in other respects (including vitamins A, B and C), but lacking this substance, 

 the ovaries appear to function normally and the ova become fertilized and 

 implanted, but the placentae are abnormal. ' ' They may persist almost through- 

 out gestation but show as early as the second day of their establishment begin- 

 ning blood extravasations, which increase in extent. Resorption invariably 

 overtakes the products of conception. ' ' Fertility is promptly restored by adding 

 to the diet fresh lettuce or other "X "-containing substances. The existence 

 of a distinct vitamin essential to reproduction was confirmed by Sure ('24). 



As mentioned above, Pernice and Scagliosi ('95a) found that a dry diet 

 (aqueous inanition) in the dog occasioned congestion and structural disorder 



