356 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



In the submaxillary gland, the crescents (demilunes) become smaller and 

 may undergo degenerative changes, but the mucous cells appear in general 

 somewhat more resistant. 



The salivary duct epithelium is somewhat more resistant than the glandular 

 epithelium, but in the later stages of inanition it may likewise undergo the charac- 

 teristic degenerative changes, and desquamation. 



Upon refeeding after a period of inanition, the salivary glands promptly 

 recuperate and apparently regain their normal size and structure within a few 

 days. There is a reappearance of mitosis, which is suppressed during inanition. 



During partial inanition, data upon changes in the salivary glands are very 

 scarce, but the typical atrophy apparently occurs upon diets deficient in pro- 

 tein, vitamins, etc. A very marked atrophy has been shown to occur during 

 thirst (aqueous inanition), which probably exhausts the salivary glands in an 

 effort to prevent dryness of the mouth. 



(^4) Effects of Total Inanition on the Salivary Glands 



Human Adult. — Lucas (1826) cited from Ballin's "Erfahrungen" a case 

 of starvation during religious dementia in which the parotid, submaxillary and 

 sublingual glands appeared "regelwidrig klein." Aside from this, the only 

 reference found concerning the salivary glands in adult human inanition was 

 that of Meyer ('17) in a case of voluntary starvation. He found that in the 

 parotid gland "Many of the peripheral acini look shrunken and the connective 

 tissue framework surrounding them is too large. Some of the degenerate- 

 looking acini take an acidophile stain. Other acini have almost completely 

 disappeared, although these changes have affected only relatively small portions 

 of the gland. The remaining protoplasm is often toothed or cogged as in macer- 

 ated specimens, and the nuclei are collected near the center of the cell. Vacuoles 

 are common and large. The mucous cells seem better preserved. Accumula - 

 tions of lymphocytes are found about some of the ducts . . . The submaxillary 

 and sublingual glands show somewhat less marked though similar changes." 



No reference to changes in the salivary glands in atrophic infants were 

 found in the literature. The weights observed by me for the parotid, sub- 

 maxillary and sublingual glands in 3 cases (Table 3) would appear to indicate an 

 increased weight for these organs in most cases, but the conclusions are uncertain 

 on account of the lack of adequate norms for comparison. 



Among the effects of starvation on animals, Tiedemann ('36) mentioned 

 that the salivary glands, like the other glands, incurred a marked loss in 

 substance. 



Bidder and Schmidt ('52) in a starved cat with loss of about 50 per cent in 

 body weight, found an apparent loss of 65 per cent in the weight of the salivary 

 glands. 



Valentin ('57) noted apparent losses of 13 and 15 per cent, respectively, in 

 the salivary glands of hibernating marmots with losses of 8 and 35 per cent in 

 body weight. 



