330 



NATURE 



[September i, 1923 



In Petrograd and Moscow the famines were in- 

 vestigated in fairly great detail, and scientific material 

 was obtained for two great conferences on the famine, 

 the deliberations of which have so far not been pub- 

 lished. As a president of one of these conferences I can 

 give the most important and interesting points which 

 have been elucidated and which are of interest from 

 the physiological point of view. 



First, the approximate weight of the body was 

 ascertained, according to the French formula that 

 when the length of the body in centimetres is multiplied 

 by 0*4 the weight of the body in kilograms is obtained. 

 We have measured the height and weight of many 

 persons who died of starvation without any other 

 complications, and the weight according to the formula 

 was found to be 30-35 per cent, less than the normal. 

 Thus the figures obtained on starving animals have 

 been confirmed on human beings. 



Chemical analysis of the organs of people who died 

 from starvation has shown a great deviation from the 

 normal, especially in the content of neutral and phos- 

 phorus-containing fats. There was a small decrease 

 in weight in all organs with the exception of the brain. 

 This had already been ascertained through laboratory 

 experiments. Chemical analysis of the white and grey 

 matter has further revealed a great change in the tissue 

 of the grey matter by a large diminution, not only in 

 the phosphorus-containing fats, but also in the general 

 quantity of the protein. In certain cases this diminu- 

 tion was as much as 25 per cent. The small fall in 

 weight in the brain can, therefore, be explained by the 

 fact that the white matter which forms the greater 

 part of the brain is least altered, while the grey matter 

 is changed greatly in quantity and especially in quahty. 



Secondly, an experiment was carried out on a large 

 scale to ascertain the influence of the absence of fats 

 from the diet ; a mass experiment which lasted about 

 two years. Trading in food products was forbidden 

 and the transport was disorganised. Consequently, 

 a rationing system was enforced on the population. 

 At first the rationing was restricted to bread only. 

 After the second revolution, however, the population 

 was divided for rationing purposes into four categories. 

 The first consisted of workers, the second of officials, 

 the third of the ordinary citizens, and the fourth of the 



> Although these amounts represent what it was proposed by the Govern- 

 ment to provide, no doubt the actual supply often fell short of the 

 quantities set forth in the table.— Editor of Nature. 



NO. 2809, VOL. I I2J 



former rich. The following table gives the actual rations. 

 Afterwards every ministry urHJtrtook llje rationing of 



The Daily Ration ov lEcoKies ot 



THE PeTROGRAU I'ul'UXAIIUN. 



their own officials, leaving the general public on the 

 above diets, I had the opportunity of obtaining the 

 information dealing with the amount of food s ' 

 out to a certain number of people during the pen 

 two years. From these data it was possible to calculat 

 the fat, protein, and carbohydrates consumed pt: 

 person per day and to plot mortality curves according 

 to diet. 



The first maximum of mortality coincided with the 

 general low intake of calories. During this period 

 many people died. Before death, which occurred 

 generally from intercurrent infections, they mostl;- 

 manifested oedema. A vcr)' high mortality from v. 

 significant causes was also registered during this ]>• 

 The second mortality maximum coincides with t; 

 minimum. There were days when the daily fat : 

 averaged about 5 gm. — to all intents and pur, 

 a fat-free diet. During this period deaths of undefinc 

 character were registered. The organs of tlv \ '< t'n .> 

 showed scarcely any change. 



In the course of the famines it was also pusbiun.- i^n 

 several occasions to confirm the influence of the vita- 

 mins on human beings. It is interesting to record an 

 outbreak of scurvy among various groups of people 

 whose diet was quantitatively quite satisfacton,-, but 

 lacked variety and consisted mainly of ingredients such 

 as boiled millet, maize, etc. Such an outbreak took 

 place in the fleet. The pathological change in the large 

 intestine which was brought about by the one-sided 

 consumption of millet was even named " Millet 

 disease." The mucous membrane is penetrated by 

 the small grains, which cause intense inflammation 

 By changing the diet and using large grains only th 

 scurvy-like condition is cured. This confirms tht; 

 work of American workers, showing that the physical 

 condition of the food may be responsible for a change 

 in the mucous membrane of the intestine, which may 

 favour infection. Scur\y is a dietetic disease due to 

 a deficiency of vitamin-C. and a consequent bacterial 

 infection. No specific organism causing scurvy could 

 be found. 



Further, investigations during the famine have 

 shown that the relative proportion of protein, fat, and 

 carbohydrate in the diet play an important part in the 

 nutrition of the infant. A great deal of information 

 was obtained from infant institutions where, owing 

 to the lack of fats, grave illnesses were prevalent, which, 

 however, disappeared when butter was introduced in 

 the diet. It is of interest to record -the great diminu- 

 tion in the fertility of women and the cessation of the 

 menstrual periods. Similar conditions were observed 

 among animals by the veterinar\- surgeons. 



