108 C. M. JACKSON 



2. The head and fore Umbs during inanition lose relatively less 

 than the body as a whole, and therefore increase in relative (per- 

 centage) weight. The hind limbs nearly maintain their original 

 relative weight (slight increase during acute inanition), while the 

 trunk decreases in relative weight. 



3. Of the systems — integument, skeleton, musculature, viscera 

 and ' remainder' — the integument and musculature lose relatively 

 in nearly the same proportion as the whole body, slightly less 

 during acute inanition and slightly more during chronic inanition. 

 The skeleton nearly maintains its original absolute weight, and 

 therefore increases markedly in relative (percentage) weight. 

 There is a marked decrease in the 'remainder,' probably due 

 chiefly to loss of fat. The visceral group as a whole undergoes 

 little change in relative weight, showing a slight decrease during 

 acute inanition. This decrease is due to the large size of the 

 liver, which undergoes a greater loss in acute than in chronic 

 inanition. The majority of the viscera, on the other hand, 

 show a greater loss during chronic inanition, 



4. As to relative loss of weight during inanition, the individual 

 viscera may be divided into three groups: (1) the suprarenal 

 glands, thyroid glands, eyeballs, spinal cord and brain lose but 

 ver}^ little (if any) in absolute weight, and therefore increase 

 correspondingly in relative (percentage) weight. The thymus 

 has already undergone age involution, and is therefore unaffected. 

 (2) The kidneys, heart, lungs, hypophysis and testes lose more 

 nearly in proportion to the entire body (in general, somewhat 

 more during chronic inanition), and therefore do not change 

 greatly in relative (percentage) weight. (3) The spleen (in acute 

 inanition), liver and alimentary canal (both empty and with con- 

 tents) lose relatively much more heavily than the whole body, 

 and therefore decrease in relative (percentage) as well as in 

 absolute weight. 



