PROTEIN FATTENING. 919 



after 32 days nitrogenous equilibrium had not occurred. On feeding 

 with 1800 grams of meat and 250 grams of fat nitrogenous equilibrium 

 was established after seven days; and though the deposition of flesh 

 per day was greater, still the absolute deposit was not one-half as great 

 as in the former case. 



The possibility of a protein fattening in man and animals (dogs, sheep) 

 is shown by the series of experiments of KRUG, BORNSTEIN, SCHREUER, 

 HENNEBERG, PFEIFFER and KALB and others l and there is no doubt 

 that such a fattening is possible. That we are here not dealing with an 

 increase in the number of cells, but rather an enlargement of the volume 

 of the same is the generally accepted view. Theories as to the value and 

 nature of this protein-fattening are still divergent, as we must differentiate 

 between flesh accumulation or actual organ formation and protein 

 accumulation or deposition of dead protein, and opinions vary in 

 regard to the question how far the one or the other of these occur. 

 By determining the relation between P2Os and N in muscles, kidneys 

 and liver in dogs and hens in starvation and in fattening, GRUND 2 has 

 tested this possibility experimentally. If we are dealing with the deposi- 

 tion of dead protein then the relationship of the P2O5 to the N would 

 change in favor of the nitrogen; GRUND found only a very slight change 

 of this kind, which was not conclusive, and according to him the various 

 organs have correspondingly a certain tendency of maintaining the rela- 

 tion between phosphorus and nitrogen unchanged in starvation as well 

 as in fattening. 



It is difficult to produce a permanent flesh deposit in adult man by 

 overfeeding alone. It is to a much greater degree a function of the specific 

 growth energy of the cells and the cell-work than the excess of food. 

 Therefore there is observed, according to v. NOORDEN, abundant flesh 

 deposition (1) in each growing body; (2) in those no longer growing, but 

 whose body is accustomed to increased work; (3) whenever, by previous 

 insufficient food or by disease, the flesh condition of the body has been 

 diminished and therefore requires abundant food to replace it. The 

 deposition of flesh is in this case an expression of the regenerative energy 

 of the cells. 3 



The experiences of graziers show that in food-animals a flesh deposit 

 does not occur, or at least is only inconsiderable, on overfeeding. The 



1 Krug, Cited by v. Noorden, Lehrb. der Path, des Stoffwechsel, 1. Aufl., p. 120; 

 Bornstein, Berl. klin. Wochenschr., 1898, and Pfliiger's Arch., 83 and 106; Bornstein 

 and Schreuer, Pfliiger's Arch., 110; Henneberg and Pfeiffer, see Maly's Jahresb., 

 20; Pfeiffer and Kalb, ibid., 22. 



2 G. Grund, Zeitschr. f. Biol., 54. 



8 See also Svenson, Zeitschr. f. klin. Med., 43. 



