NINTH ANNUAL REPORT: 169 
The relationship of food to the development of osteomalacia 
must be fully entered into, as well as the effects of ordinary 
hygenic measures. 
The truly remarkable success attained in the treatment of the 
puerpural forms by castration in man, indicates the possibility 
of securing some beneficial results by this method in animals also. 
Perhaps of even greater importance, however, is the direct bear- 
ing, which study of this condition in the primates, the species most 
closely related to man, may have on the understanding of the 
whole subject of osteomalacea, particularly since it is here possi- 
ble to undertake problems in experimental investigation, espe- 
cially along the lines of therapeusis, of immediate bearing and 
value to human medicine, methods which may not be justifiable 
to first attempt on man and which, on account of great variation 
on species status are of uncertain value when conducted with 
domestic or the ordinary laboratory animals. 
In conclusion we may summarize the result of our study as 
follows: “Cage paralysis,” as seen in Primates in captivity, is 
osteomalacia. The differentiation of some authors into senile, 
marantic and true osteomalacia does not hold in the monkeys. 
The disease is very frequent in monkeys in captivity, but proba- 
bly does not occur in the wild (Hornaday, Report New York 
Zoological Society, 1903, p. 116). 
The disease as it appears in Primates is chiefly characterized 
by decalcification of the bones, but degenerative lesions of the 
central nervous organs are, though probably secondary, an essen- 
tial manifestation of the disease. 
The etiology is unknown. 
