378 INANITION AND MALNUTRITION 



different stages. Hyperchromatosis occurs frequently even in the first half 

 of the inanition period; later chromatolysis or pycnosis and karyorrhexis "are 

 frequent. The cell changes occur chiefly in the convoluted tubules and Henle's 

 loop, while those of the tubuli recti and medulla show little or no change. 

 (Statements by Perls, L. Popow, Ochotin and Steiger are also cited.) The 

 renal cell changes are least marked in the pigeon, more distinct in the guinea 

 pig, and most intensive in the rabbit, cat and dog. 



Russo ('92) observed albuminuria in 1 malnourished dog, although not in 

 6 others similarly starved. Sacerdotti ('94) concluded that in fasting dogs, 

 rabbits and guinea pigs, the removal of one kidney does not cause hyperplasia 

 in the epithelium of the remaining kidney, if no inflammatory complication 

 is present. 



In groups of guinea pigs on absolute inanition with average losses of 10, 20, 

 30 and 36 per cent, Lazareff ('95) found corresponding losses of 1.80, 2.54, 

 10.23 and 11.00 per cent in the kidneys (see Table 5; averages for right and 

 left combined). In the urinary bladder, the corresponding average apparent 

 losses were ^-33^ °> 1 3-33 an d 23.33 P er cent (Table 5). It would thus appear 

 that the loss in the bladder is relatively greater than that in the kidneys, but 

 that in both the loss is relatively much less than that in the whole body. 



Kusmin ('96) found that in fasting rabbits and guinea pigs at hypertem- 

 peratures the kidneys lose in weight relatively less than the spleen, liver and 

 intestines, but more than the heart and lungs. Hyperemia occurs, and some- 

 times hemorrhagic extravasations, with changes analogous to those in 

 fever. 



Weiske ('97) observed a loss of about one-fourth (slightly more in dry 

 weight) of the kidneys in 3 rabbits on water only with loss of 35-41 per cent 

 in body weight. 



Lukianow ('98, '98a) found that in fasting white mice the nuclei of the kidney- 

 cells show a much smaller decrease in volume than do the liver-cell nuclei. 

 With loss of about 28 per cent in body weight, the renal nuclei apparently 

 decreased 8.2-8.4 per cent in diameter, corresponding to an average loss of 

 23.03 per cent in volume. 



Nemzer ('99) showed that in fasting white mice the organs undergo a 

 variable decrease in nuclein-content, that of the kidneys showing the least 

 decrease. 



In 2 starved cats, with losses of 51 and 55 per cent in body weight, Sedlmair 

 ('99) found that the kidneys had apparently lost weight in nearly the same 

 proportion. The weight of the urinary bladder appeared very irregular, with 

 a slight increase in one case, and a loss of 45 per cent in the other. 



Traina ('04) reviewed the somewhat discordant results of previous inves- 

 tigators as to the changes in the kidneys during inanition. In rabbits subjected 

 to acute and chronic inanition he noted that both renal cells and nuclei decrease 

 in size, with some decrease also in Altmann's granules. Traina paid especial 

 attention to the fatty droplets and granules, which occur normally in the kidney 

 (as in other glands) and constitute the "sessile" or "permanent" fat which is 

 relatively unaffected by inanition. Rubow ('05) likewise found no significant 



