UNDERNUTRITION 17 



formula. Attention has been called to its being similar to hyperbola 

 (Luciani(a), 1889), and while mathematically the curve is not an exact 

 one, yet it has many of its features. For the curve shows a sharp change at 

 the start and then tends to approach a straight, line. The asymptote of 

 the hyperbola will be a line whose direction represents the loss of weight 

 as it becomes constant. 



The weight curve of individuals who take a diet insufficient in calories 

 is similar ; here there is at first a rapid loss of weight, which is followed 

 by a slower loss and finally by a constant loss. The asymptote of the 

 hyperbola makes a more acute angle with the abscissa than in fasting. 

 When the critical caloric intake is taken, then we find the body weight 

 curve to fall at first much as before, but to soon cease to fall. The asymp- 

 tote here is parallel to the abscissa. The behavior of the body weight in 

 underfeeding or lowered caloric diet is most commonly seen in infants. 

 It is commonly noticed that appreciably lowering the feeding of a child 

 will result in rapid loss of weight for a day or two, followed by slower 

 loss and then the weigh't tends to remain constant or increase slowly. 



In summary, it may be said that the body weight falls in the case of 

 a man getting insufficient number of calories in his diet. On a change of 

 diet to one with fewer calories, there is usually a marked loss of weight 

 immediately. This is especially true if the change in diet results in less 

 carbohydrate being taken and sometimes not the case if more carbohydrate, 

 but less calories are taken ; the weight curve will fall then at a given rate, 

 if the caloric intake is below a critical level, but the weight will become 

 essentially constant if at or above this level. 



The weight of the various organs in fasting animals as compared with 

 control animals is given in Table 10. Analysis of the results shows that the 

 larger part of the loss of protein is in the skeletal muscles and in the 

 glands, while the more vital organ, the central nervous system, show's but 

 little change. In other words, one might say that the more vital organs 

 survive at the expense of those less needed for life. 



Physiology 



To understand better the true metabolism of undernutrition and to 

 apply its affects in disease and therapeutics, it seems advisable to give 

 an outline and discussion of the effects of fasting and undernutrition upon 

 the physiology of the various systems in the body. 



Muscular System. The salmon, when it returns from the salt water 

 to fresh water to breed, is fat and well developed. On its trip up the 

 river, it does not take food, and draws on its body fat and musculature for 

 a period of five to fifteen months, not only to meet its energy requirements 

 but also for the development of ova or sperm. In the Rhine salmon it 



