484 LOSS OF WEIGHT DURING STARVATION. 



and almost disappear. The blood contains less water and the plasma 

 less albumin, the gall-bladder is distended, which indicates a con- 

 tinuous decomposition of blood-corpuscles within the liver. The 

 liver is small and very dark-coloured, the muscles are very brittle 

 and dry, so that there is great muscular weakness, and death occurs 

 with the signs of great depression and coma. 



The relations of the metabolism are given in the foregoing table, 

 the diminished excretion of urea is much greater than that of C0 2 , 

 which is due to a larger amount of fats than proteids being 

 decomposed. 



According to the calculation, there is daily a tolerably constant 

 amount of fat used up, while, as starvation continues, the proteids are 

 decomposed in much smaller amounts from day to day, although 

 the drinking of water accelerates their decomposition. The excretion 

 of C0 2 therefore falls more slowly than the total body-weight, so 

 that the unit-weight of the living animal from day to day may 

 even show an increased production of C0 2 . The amount of 

 consumed, depends of course upon the oxidation of proteids (which 

 require less 0), and of fats (which require more 0). 



According to D. Finkler, starving animals consume nearly as much as well- 

 nourished animals, so that the energy of oxidation is scarcely altered during 

 inanition. Corresponding to this, the temperature of a starving animal is the 

 same as normal. The respiratory quotient (p. 255) falls from 0'9 to 0*7, and the 

 excretion of C0 2 diminishes more rapidly than the consumption of 0. It would 

 be wrong, however, to conclude, from the diminished condition of C0 2 , that the 

 oxidation also was diminished, as the simultaneous consumption of is the only 

 guide to the energy of the metabolism. As starving animals use up their own 

 flesh and fat, they form less C0 2 than well-nourished animals which oxidise carbo- 

 hydrates. 



Loss of weight of Organs. It is of importance to determine to 

 what extent the individual organs and tissues lose weight; some 

 undergo simple loss of weight, e.g., the bones, the fat undergoes very 

 considerable and rapid decomposition, while other organs, as the heart, 

 undergo little change, because they seem to be able to nourish 

 themselves from the transformation products of other tissues. 



A starving cat, according to v. Voit, lost 



Per cent, of Per cent, of 



the originally the total loss of 



present. body-weight. 



1. Fat, . . 97 ... 26'2 



2. Spleen, . 667 ... 0'6 



3. Liver, . 63'7 ... 4'8 



4. Testicles, . 40 '0 ... O'l 



5. Muscles, . 30-5 ... 42 '2 



6. Blood, . 27'0 ... 3-7 



7. Kidneys, . 25'9 ... 0'6 



8. Skin, . 20-6 ... 8 -8 



9. Intestine, . 18 '0 ... 2'0 



Per cent, of Per cent, of 

 the originally the total loss of 



present. body-weight. 



10. Lungs, . 17'7 ... 0-3 



11. Pancreas, 17'0 ... O'l 



12. Bones, . 13'9 ... 5'4 



13. Central Nervous 



System, 3 '2 ... O'l 



14. Heart, . 2-6 ... Q'02 



15. Total loss of 

 the rest of the 



body, . 36-8 ... 5'0 



