METABOLISM IN STARVATION. 897 



but it depends more likely upon the disturbance in the nutrition of a few 

 less vitally important organs (E. VOIT 1 ). 



In calculating or determining the loss of weight of the . organs in 

 starvation the original fat content of the organs must be considered. 

 With the consideration of the fat content of the organs, determined or 

 estimated in a special way before the starvation period and at the end, 

 E. VoiT 2 found the following loss of weight in the supposed fat-free 

 organs in starvation, namely, muscles 41 per cent, viscera 42 per cent, 

 skin 28 per cent, and skeleton 5 per cent. 



The quantity of urine nitrogen sinks in starvation corresponding to 

 the protein catabolism, but to a varying degree in different individuals. 

 The lowest value observed thus far in man was 2.82 grams per diem as 

 found by E. and O. FREUND on the twenty-first day in the faster Succi. 

 Calculated on 1 kilogram of body weight, the urine nitrogen, as is to be 

 expected, shows striking differences in different persons; in CETTI and 

 Succi it was 0.150-0.200 gram on the fifth to tenth day of starvation. 

 The division of the nitrogen in the urine in starvation is unlike that in 

 the normal condition. The relative amount of urea diminishes, as 

 shown by E. and O. FREUND, BRUGSCH and CATHCART, S so that instead 

 of being about 85 per cent of the total nitrogen under normal conditions 

 it can sink to 54 per cent (BRUGSCH). At the same time because of the 

 abundant formation of acetone bodies (starvation acidosis) the quantity 

 of ammonia increases considerably (BRUGSCH, CATHCART). A relative 

 increase in the neutral sulphur of the urine also takes place (BENEDICT, 

 CATHCART 4 ). Creatine also occurs in starvation urine and according 

 to HAWK 5 and co-workers the elimination of creatine is much greater than 

 the creatinine a few days before the premortal nitrogen elimination. 



One must differentiate between the real starvation metabolism and the 

 metabolism in the inanition condition, the basal requirement (MAGNUS- 

 LEVY) or the maintenance value (LOEWY 6 ) . With this we understand the 

 metabolism in uniform, medium temperature, with absolute bodily rest 

 and inactivity of the intestinal canal. As a measure of this we deter- 

 mine the gas exchange in a person lying down with as perfect com- 

 plete muscular rest as possible, or sleeping in the early morning and 

 at least twelve hours after a light meal not rich in carbohydrates. This 



1 Zeitschr. f . Biologie, 41. 



2 Ibid., 46. 



3 E. and O. Freund, Wien. klin. Rundschau, 1901, Nos. 5 and 6; Brugsch, Zeitschr. 

 f. exp. Path. u. Therap., 1 and 3; Cathcart, Bioch. Zeitschr., 6. 



4 Zeitschr. f. klin. Med., 36; Cathcart, 1. c. 

 6 Journ. of biol. Chem., 11. 



6 Magnus-Levy in v. Noorden's Handbuch, and Loewy in Oppenheimer's Handbuch 

 d. Biochemie, Bd. 4. 



