90 C. M. JACKSON 



MUSCULATURE 



The musculature (table 3; fig. 2) forms an average of 47.6 

 per cent of the body in the acute inanition series, which is 

 slightly higher than the average for the normal adult rat (which 

 is about 45 per cent, Jackson and Lowrey '12). The musculature 

 in the chronic inanition series is somewhat lower, the average 

 being 43.0 per cent of the body weight. This would indicate a 

 somewhat greater loss relatively in chronic inanition. 



In terms of absolute weight, the musculature would appear to 

 have decreased from 114.75 to 79.25 grams (a loss of 30.9 per 

 cent) in the acute inanition series; and from 96.30 to 57.0 grams 

 (a loss of 40.8 per cent) in the chronic inanition series. 



There is much variation in the weight of the musculature 

 following inanition, judging from data available in the literature. 

 The statements usually refer to acute inanition. According to 

 Gaglio ('84), while the body weight of the frog loses 56 per cent 

 the musculature loses 85 per cent of its weight. The muscula- 

 ture appears to suffer a slight relative loss (decrease in percent- 

 age weight) in dogs (Falck '54; Voit '05 b) and cats (Sedlmair 

 '99), while it remains nearly unchanged in the rabbit (Pfeiffer 

 '87; Voit, '05 b). On the other hand, data from a series of steers 

 slaughtered in the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station 

 indicate a relative increase in the musculature from about 33 

 per cent of the body weight in a very fat animal, to 44 per cent 

 in a lean animal, due probably to the earlier loss of the fat. 

 Voit ('66) finds a slight relative increase in the musculature of 

 the cat. Lasarew ('97) in an extensive series of guinea-pigs sub- 

 jected to various degrees of inanition found that the loss of the 

 musculature is somewhat less than that of the body fat in the 

 earher periods, but greater in the later periods. While the body 

 weight lost 10 per cent, the musculature lost only 7.28 per cent 

 of its weight; but the loss of the musculature was much greater 

 at later periods. This would perhaps explain the relatively 

 greater loss of the musculature during chronic inanition. 



