10 



Mr. C. H. Kellaway. The Effect of Certain 



two adrenals, the content of adrenaline appears to be identical in the two 

 organs (c/. Elliott (1912)). In experimental polj'neuritis, however, there is 

 often a large difference in weight between the two adrenals, and there appears 

 to be some corresponding difference in content of adrenaline. 



Observations on Nm-mal Pigeons. 



In the early stages of this work I was not aware of the variations which 

 occnr in the adrenal-content of pigeons in captivity fed on a normal diet, 

 and in consequence some of my hrst observations on the effect of diet on the 

 suprarenale were, in this respect, imperfectly controlled. 



The data which are presented here do not enable me to state definitely how 

 far lack of exercise and prolonged caging, and how far seasonal variation 

 account for these differences in the amount of adrenaline in the glands of 

 normal pigeons. In Table II the average results obtained from three series 

 of normal birds, kept caged for varying periods, are given. The extreme 

 variations of individual birds are indicated by the maximal and minimal 

 figures placed beneath each average. Birds whose organs showed any gross 

 pathological changes at autopsy were discarded. 



Table II. — Pigeons on Normal Diet. 





Number 



of 

 series. 



Period 

 of time 

 during 

 wbicli 

 birds were 

 caged. 



Number 

 of 

 birds 



in 

 series. 



Body 

 weight 

 in 



grammes. 



Weight of 

 adrenals 

 in 

 milli- 

 grammes. 



Weight of 

 adrenals 

 per kilo- 

 gramme of 

 body weight 

 in milli- 

 grammes. 



Weight of 

 adrenaline 

 in 

 milli- 

 grammes. 



Weight of 

 adrenaline 

 per kilo- 

 gramme of 

 body weight 

 in milli- 

 grammes. 



Average 



(1) 



March 1 



13 



318-4 



25-2 



79 -1 



-051 



0-160 



Maximal 



to 





352 



34 -5 



113 -5 



0-096 



0-300 



Minimal 





March 15 





289 



16 



50 -2 



0-033 



0-112 



Average 





April 5 



4 



304 



18 -5 



60-9 



-077 



-225 



Maximal 





to 





306 



22 



71 -9 



0-101 



0-330 



Minimal 





May 28 





301 



15 



49 -3 



0-035 



0-115 



Average 



(11) 



May 5 



8 



284 



24 



84 -5 



0-096 



0-338 



Maximal 



to 





314 



32 



101 -9 



0-129 



0-411 



Minimal 





June 30 





248 



15 



60-5 



0-064 



0-258 



The striking difference between the average figures for content of adrenaline 

 per kilogramme of initial body weight in Series 1 and 11, i.e., 0-160 and 

 0-338 mgrm., makes it clear that in estimating the effect of any diet on the 

 supi-arenals the influence of caging and seasonal change must be excluded by 

 comparison with birds on normal diet kept for the same period under identical 

 conditions. 



