EFFECTS ON THE PANCREAS AND SALIVARY GLANDS 



347 



auch eine Verkleinerung der Driisenzellen, welche keine besondere Pigmentierung 

 zeigen." 



Sobotta ('14) supported Laguesse's theory that the pancreatic acini may by 

 inanition be temporarily transformed into islets. 



Meyer ('17) found a weight of 65 g. in the pancreas of a man dead from 

 starvation. Histologically the parenchyma seemed quite well preserved, except 

 the pancreatic islets, which appeared small and shrunken away from the surround- 

 ing tissue. Some of the islets formed merely a fused mass of degenerated cells; 

 but others were somewhat better preserved. Meyer remarks that glycosuria 

 was not observed in this case, in spite of the degenerated condition of many 

 islets. 



Roessle ('19) from organ weights at 700 necropsies on soldiers concluded 

 that in emaciating diseases (chronic fevers, etc.) the pancreas appears variable 

 in the degree of its loss in weight. 



In cases with emaciation, Krieger ('20) found the average weights for the 

 pancreas as shown in the accompanying table, assuming Vierordt's normal 

 (0.15 per cent of the body weight). 



Effects of Malnutrition upon the Weight of the Human Pancreas (Krieger '20) 



The decrease in weight appeared roughly proportional to the loss in body weight, 

 but was relatively greater in the chronic diarrheas. In individual cases, the 

 loss may reach 60 per cent. Macroscopioally "Derbheit und Blutarmut" 

 were characteristic; brownish pigmentation appeared in 1 case, with previous 

 malaria. (Krieger says Prym sometimes noted a brownish color in general 

 atrophy of the pancreas.) 



In atrophic infants, De Tommasi ('94) noted a diminutive pancreas. Bloch 

 ('05, '06) found the pancreas normal in some cases, but in others the gland 

 cells showed marked general deficiency of zymogen granules. Some of the cells 

 showed pycnotic nuclei with hyalin, degenerated cytoplasm and indistinct cell- 

 boundaries. The islets of Langerhans appeared poorly differentiated. Bloch 

 thought the deficiency in the pancreatic gland ceils, and in the Paneth cells of 

 the intestinal glands, might be of significance as a cause of pedatrophy. 



Helmholz ('09), however, found the histological structure of the pancreas 

 apparently normal in 10 cases of pedatrophy. Similarly Schelble ('10) in 32 

 cases, and DeVilla ('n) in 5 cases, could not find the pancreatic lesions 

 described by Bloch. 



