432 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



small in rachitic children. In rats with experimental rickets, however, Jackson 

 and Carleton found a marked hypertrophy of the suprarenal glands, ranging 

 from 42 to 62 per cent above normal in the various groups (Table 11) . 



Vitamin Deficiencies. — Cramer ('20, '20a) found that in mice and rats 

 dying on a vitamin-free diet the suprarenal lipoids have almost completely 

 disappeared and are restricted to the outermost layers of the zona glomerulosa. 

 The medulla shows an almost normal epinephrin content. 



On diets deficient in vitamin A, Emmett and Allen ('20) found ophthalmia but 

 no notable change in the suprarenal glands of the rat, although Emmett and 

 Peacock ('22) noted apparent suprarenal hypertrophy in chickens (especially in the 

 young) on similar diets. Herter ('97) found suprarenal enlargement in pigs 

 during fat starvation, involving deficiency in vitamin A. 



Vitamin B. — In infantile beriberi, Andrews ('12) noted congestion of the 

 suprarenal glands. In one adult case, Strong and Crowell ('12) found the 

 suprarenals normal in size; the cortex yellowish and the medulla relatively 

 prominent. In pigeons with experimental beriberi (polyneuritis), Funk and 

 Douglas ('14) incidentally noted "signs of degeneration" in the suprarenals 

 and other viscera. Tasawa ('15) mentioned hypertrophy of the suprarenal 

 medulla as a characteristic of human beriberi. Nagayo ('23) similarly contrasts 

 the hypertrophy of the suprarenal medulla in human beriberi with the hyper- 

 trophy of the cortex in experimental polyneuritis. 



The observations of McCarrison ('19, '19a, '20, '21) upon the suprarenals of 

 pigeons on autoclaved rice diet with edema and polyneuritis were mentioned 

 above (under protein deficiency). In these cases the suprarenals were found 

 greatly enlarged (involving a hypertrophy of the medulla, at least), with an 

 increased total adrenalin content. In one series, the initial and final average 

 weights of the pigeons were 245-255 g. in the controls; 239-168 g. in 12 with 

 dry beriberi; and 232-158 g. in 10 with hydropic beriberi. The corre- 

 sponding average weights of the suprarenals were 23.2 milligrams in the 

 controls; 36 milligrams in dry beriberi; and 67.6 milligrams in hydropic beriberi. 



Kellaway ('21) likewise obtained enlarged suprarenals and increased adrena- 

 lin in pigeons on polished rice diet. The enlargement was prevented by the 

 addition of yeast, but not by the addition of protein or fat. Findlay ('21) also 

 obtained a definite hypertrophy of the suprarenals in both pigeons and fowls on 

 polished rice diet, the enlargement being greater than during simple inanition, 

 and more pronounced in the females (Table 13). Aside from a variable degree 

 of congestion, no marked change was noted in the structure of cortex or medulla. 

 On administration of a curative dose of vitamin B, a decrease in the weight and 

 lipoid content of the suprarenal was noted. Enlargement of the suprarenal 

 glands in pigeons with beriberi was also found by Korenchevsky ('23a). In 

 adult pigeons on a vitamin-free diet, Lopez-Lomba ('23) noted a decrease in 

 suprarenal weight in the first 14 days, a return to normal before the 23d day, 

 with a marked hypertrophy in the final period (to 30 days). 



Brucco ('20) stated that dogs become emaciated with paralytic symptoms on 

 polished rice diet. The suprarenals pass through a stage of hyperfunctioning, 

 after which they undergo degeneration. Van Driel ('20) claimed that during 



