176 "^he Philippine Journal of Science 



Table XIV. — Showing the effect of decomposition. 



1917 



Autopsy 

 No. 



Hours 



after 



death. 



Degen- 

 era- 

 tion. 



Hours 



after 

 death. 



Degen- 

 era- 

 tion. 



Hours 

 after 

 death. 



Degen- 

 era- 

 tion. 



Hours 

 after 

 death. 



Degen- 

 era- 

 tion. 



Sheaths. 



5103 

 5118 

 5120 



5402 



3 



15 



5 



16 



+ 

 + 



22 



34 



9 



40 



+ 



+ 



— a 



38 

 39 

 29 



+ 

 + 



— a 







Stained dark. 



Dark and granular. 



Beaded and frag- 

 mented. 



Beaded and frag- 

 mented. 







34 



— a 











° This disappearance is due to a rapid solution of the reduced osmic acid in the clearing oil. 



Table XV. — Degeneration in six decomposed cases studied. 



Autopsy 

 No. 



Cause of death. 



Degen- 

 era- 

 tion. 



Hours after 

 death. 



4548 

 4858 

 4864 

 4881 

 5003 

 5102 



Submersion 



Pulmonary tuberculosis 



Generalized tuberculous peritonitis 



Enteritis (cholera) 



Submersion 



Occipitovertebral dislocation 



21 



40 



12(?) 



31 



48 



(?) 



Table XV shows the persistence of degeneration in advanceci 

 decomposition. 



The results of this work show that degeneration of the myeline 

 sheath in the peripheral nerves in morbidities distinctly non- 

 beriberic is not only present but frequent, and such frequen- 

 cy should always be borne in mind during all post-mortem 

 investigations. 



The frequency of degeneration in old age associated with gen- 

 eralized arteriosclerosis and chronic interstitial nephritis, in 

 Asiatic cholera, in pulmonary tuberculosis, in conditions with 

 poor nutrition, and even in apparently healthy individuals killed 

 by accidents is evident, although no definite conclusions could be 

 drawn due to a lack in number in each class of cases studied. 



The following explanations have been offered by others as 

 etiological factors in the degeneration of the myeline sheath of 

 peripheral nerves : 



1. Degeneration of peripheral nerves may occur in any disturbance of 



metabolism and nutrition as a result of chemical poisoning or parasitic 

 toxins. (1) 



2. Degeneration of peripheral nerves results from a deficiency of a sub- 



stance or substances necessary for a normal metabolism. (2) (3) (4) 



3. Degeneration in apparently healthy individuals is probably due to a 



one-sided diet (white rice) of the lower class of people to which the 



