SYMPTOMS DUE TO CHANGES 181 



slower or more rapid, it usually constitutes a symptom 

 of disease. In so complicated a body as that of man, 

 symptoms are of various sorts because disturbances of 

 metabolism can produce so many different effects. It is 

 out of the question in a book of this sort to make a com- 

 plete list of the symptoms of the different kinds of dis- 

 ease, yet some of the more important may be mentioned 

 in order to show their relation to the underlying derange- 

 ments of metabolism. 



Symptoms Due to Changes in Rate of Metabolism. 

 — Probably the commonest disturbance of metabolism 

 is that in which there is a whipping-up of the chemical 

 activity, causing materials to be used up at more than the 

 usual rate; the chemical processes within the cells go on 

 more rapidly than normal, and an increased volume of 

 waste material is poured out. The commonest symptom 

 of this particular condition is that rise in body tempera- 

 ture which constitutes fever. It is true that the tempera- 

 ture of the body can rise to the fever point without metab- 

 olism actually being increased, through interference with 

 the loss from the body of the heat that is produced in nor- 

 mal metabolism, but in the vast majority of fevers there 

 is an underlying increase in the basic metabolism. An- 

 other symptom related to fever is the rapid wasting-away 

 of the body. Obviously, anyone consuming material rap- 

 idly must suffer bodily wastage unless he replaces the ma- 

 terial with equal rapidity; but in most fevers food con- 

 sumption is slight or absent. Accompanying fever are 

 such symptoms as the rapid heart rate mentioned earlier, 

 a hot, dry skin, headache, and the general feeling of ill- 

 being known as malaise. In cases where the disease takes 

 the form of decreased metabolism there is usually a lower- 

 ing of body temperature, accompanied by feelings of 

 lassitude and slowed heart action. 



Symptoms Due to Alteration in the Character 

 OF Metabolism are of so many kinds that only a few 

 can be mentioned. The symptoms of many nervous 



