354 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



Okuneff ('22) found that in fasting rabbits with loss of 30-40 per cent in 

 body weight there is no apparent change in the lipoidal fat in the cells of the 

 pancreas. He ('23) claims that the rod-like mitochondria of the gland cells 

 fail to undergo the normal transformation into secretory granules, but instead 

 form an increased number of granular chondriosomes. 



(B) Effects of Partial Inanition on the Pancreas 



A few observations upon changes in the pancreas during the various forms 

 of partial inanition have been recorded. 



In malnutritional edema (chiefly due to protein deficiency), Schittenhelm 

 and Schlecht ('18) observed no gross change in the human pancreas. In young 

 rats on a diet deficient in tryptophan, Cramer ('23) noted thyroid lesions, 

 cutaneous myxedema, and a marked edema of the pancreas. 



In human pellagra, according to Raubitschek ('15), the pancreas usually 

 shows no characteristic changes. 



Seibold ('27) stated that in human rickets, the pancreas is "meistens sehr 

 verhartet," but this does not seem to have been confirmed by later observers. 



McCarrison ('21) found that autoclaved rice and similar diets (deficient in 

 protein, salts, vitamins, etc.) cause marked atrophy of the pancreas in pigeons 

 and monkeys. Histologically the shrunken cells show decreased granulation 

 and sometimes a considerable amount of necrobiosis, with congestion, hemor- 

 rhages, etc. Occasionally round cell infiltration and increased fibrous stroma 

 were noted, especially in the periphery of the pancreas in pigeons. "No 

 marked changes were found in the islets of Langerhans, although in a few cases 

 in monkeys these structures appeared to form a higher proportion of the sec- 

 tions than in health." 



Rondoni ('22) in guinea pigs on maize diet (mixed deficiency of protein, etc.) 

 reported a hyperplasia of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. 



With diets deficient in vitamin A, Emmett and Allen ('20) found more or 

 less passive congestion in the pancreas of rats, while Davis and Outhouse 

 reported the pancreas normal in histologic structure in most cases. In young 

 rats on vitamin-free (polished rice) diets, Tsuji ('20) noted atrophy of the 

 pancreatic alveoli in severe cases only. 



In pigeons with beriberi (due to deficiency in vitamin B), Funk and Douglas 

 ('14) noted signs of degeneration in the pancreas and other organs. In an 

 extensive study of experimental polyneuritis in chicks and pigeons, Tasawa 

 ('15) found atrophy of the pancreas. McCarrison ('19a, '21) concluded that in 

 pigeons a dietary deficiency in vitamin B has results similar to a complete 

 vitaminic starvation, causing marked atrophy of the pancreas. Findlay ('21) 

 in beriberi of fowls and pigeons found the loss in pancreas weight roughly pro- 

 portional to the loss in body weight (Table 13). The alveolar cells showed 

 cloudy swelling, with pale, vesicular nuclei; but no degenerative changes were 

 noted in the islets. Souba ('23) found the pancreas somewhat subnormal in 

 weight in young chicks on diets deficient in vitamin B. In adult pigeons on a 

 vitamin-free diet, Lopez-Lomba ('23) noted a preliminary increase in pan- 

 creatic weight, followed by a progressive decrease. 



