EFFECTS ON THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT 413 



which undergo gradual enlargement during the hibernation period, with 

 differentiation of mitochondria and lipoidal granules. 



(B) Effects of Partial Inanition 



The effects of partial inanition upon the testis may involve dietary deficien- 

 cies in the protein (including pellagra and malnutritional edema), in salts 

 (including rickets), in vitamins (A, B or C), and in water (aqueous inanition). 



Protein Deficiencies. — Most of the data available under this heading refer 

 to mixed deficiencies, in which a shortage of protein is more or less prominent. 

 Abderhalden ('19) found that male rats (white and white-black) on maize diets 

 usually live only 40-50 days, with unfavorable effects upon reproduction. 

 The males appeared less affected than the females, however, and in some cases 

 were able to fertilize normal females even after 8 weeks on maize diet. 



Slonaker and Card ('18, '23a), on the other hand, found that in young 

 albino rats on a relatively protein-poor vegetable diet, pubescence was delayed 

 more in the males than in the females, and sterility in adults was greatly 

 increased. Conditions were markedly improved by the addition of animal 

 protein (milk, eggs, etc.) to the diet. 



Reynolds and Macomber ('21, '21a,) and Macomber ('23) experimented 

 with albino rats on diets variously deficient (in general calories, protein, 

 vitamins and calcium, separately or combined). By matings with normal 

 rats' it was determined that in both sexes the age of puberty is postponed, and 

 the fertility lowered, by the deficient diets. Diets with double deficiency 

 appeared in general more unfavorable than those with any single deficiency. 



Malnutritional edema was produced by Kohman ('20) in rats on watery 

 diets deficient especially in protein and fats. In the males, there was a marked 

 decrease in the size of the testes, which was easily detected in the living animal. 

 In human war edema, Reach ('19) observed atrophic testes incompletely 

 descended in many cases; and Lubarsch ('21) noted hemosiderin deposits in 

 the perivascular connective cells of the testis. 



In pellagra, Raubitschek ('15) found usually no characteristic changes in 

 the testis and epididymis. 



In human rickets, Juaristi ('19) stated that the penis is long and hangs 

 flaccid. In rats with experimental rickets, McCollum, Simmonds, Shipley 

 and Park ('21) noted that the gonads were atrophic. Jackson and Carleton 

 ('23) found the weight of the testis irregular, but usually not decreased, in 

 albino rats with experimental rickets; and the epididymis usually appeared 

 above normal in weight (Table n). 



As previously mentioned, Reynolds and Macomber ('21) found markedly 

 lowered fertility in rats on diets deficient in calcium (or otherwise). In the 

 discussion of this paper, W. Blair Bell cited the correlation between fertility 

 and calcium content of the blood, as shown by his experiments with hens 15 

 years ago. 



Vitamin Deficiencies. Vitamin A. — In rats fed lipoid-free rations (deficient 

 in fat and in vitamin A), Hatai ('15) found the testes 44 per cent below normal 



