428 V. THE NATURE OF EVOLUTION 



shows a decrease in weight of the adrenals, and it has been sug- 

 gested that this is a result of insufficient adrenocorticotophic hormone, 

 since implantation of pituitaries increases the weight of the adrenalis 

 in such animals (108). Such adrenal atrophy is by no means attributed 

 to the general deficiency of calory, for the administration of carbo- 

 hydrate cannot alleviate the symptom. Presumably, protein deficiency 

 plays a predominant part, since it is said that a deficiency of certain 

 amino acids in the diet causes a severe atrophy of cortex, although 

 it is also reported that a fat-free diets produce a relative atrophy of 

 both cortex and medulla (97). . 



A series of symptoms following hunger can be well interpreted 

 as the hypofunction of adrenocorticotrophic hormone of hypophysis. 

 The so-called "famine oedema" or "hunger swelling" can be regarded 

 as the manifestation of the pituitary hypofunction. War oedema has 

 appeared in epidemic form in many of the recorded wars of history 

 among both the troops and the civil populations. A similar oedema 

 occurring in a malnourished infants or in those fed principally on 

 a high carbohydrate diet has long been recognized. A considerable 

 nocturia is seen in mild chronic cases, as we ourselves miserably 

 experienced during and after the War, whereas as generally accepted 

 water metabolism is severely affected by adrenal insufficiency, thereby, 

 despite the negative water balance, water diuresis is extremely limited. 

 In addition, albumin-globulin ratio of the blood is greatly altered in 

 hunger as in Addisonian syndrome, all globulin fractions usually 

 showing some increase, while albumin decreasing (109). It is well 

 established that such a change in albumin-globulin ratio in the blood, 

 which also characterises some cases of rheumatoid arthritis and other 

 diseases of mesenchymal tissue, is frequently returned to normal 

 during administration of cortisone or adrenocorticotrophic hormone 

 (110). Again, a number of investigators have reported that, as a 

 result of hypophysectomy in animals there is a decrease in the 

 albumin content of the blood (111). It has actually been confirmed 

 with rats that inanition has a similar effect (112). According to a 

 recent studies by Ulrich et al. (113), treatment of hypophysectomized 

 animal with growth hormone results in a great stimulation of albumin 

 synthesis, while ACTH has no such effect. Moreover, it should be 

 remembered that fatigability and muscular weakness peculiar to 

 Addisonian syndrome are also manifest in inanition, as we had 

 likewise rich experience of it thanks to the War. 



In addition to the want of food, an irritable, uneasy life associ- 

 ated with nervous tenseness of animality, peculiar to a barbarous 

 life, may contribute to the prevention of the loss of the rigidity in 

 gene structure. As already described, there appears to be a closely 



