Experimental Cretinism in Sheep. 



99 



The normal animals endured fasts of five days' duration with 

 little apparent distress or enfeeblement. Of the others two rapidly 

 weakened, and succumbed within six days; the third was in 

 excellent condition after seven days without food. Below is shown 

 the ascertained distribution of nitrogen in the urine of one normal 

 and one operated animal. The records of the others were of 

 corresponding character. 



Normal Sheep — Weight 42 Kilograms. 



Day of Starva- 

 tion. 



Total 

 Nitrogen. 







Per Cent. Nitrogen 



as 







Urea. 



Am- 

 monia. 



Creati- 

 nine. 



Cre- 

 atine. 



Allan- 

 toin. 



Uric 

 Acid. 



Purine 

 Bases. 



Undeter- 

 mined. 



2-3 



8.04 



84.4 



2-3 



3-8 



2.0 



1.8 



0-3 



0.4 



5-0 



3-4 



7.64 



83.6 



3-2 



4.2 



1.8 



1-7 



0.4 



0.4 



4-7 



4-5 



6.40 



80.3 



4-3 



4.2 



2-5 



i-5 



0-5 



0.5 



6.2 



S-6 



5.78 



79-8 



6.3 



4-9 



2-5 



1-7 



0.4 



0.5 



3-9 



Operated Sheep — Weight 15 Kilograms. 



1-2 



3-83 



84.4 



1.8 



3-5 



1.2 



2.1 



0.4 



0.7 



5-9 



2-3 



6.82 



85-8 



1.6 



2.4 



2.1 



1.1 



0.2 



0.4 



6.4 



3-5 



4.98 



84-5 



2.4 



2-5 



3-1 



1.4 



0.3 



0.4 



5-4 



S-6 



2.31 



76.6 



2.2 



2-5 



5-9 



i-5 



0.5 



0.5 



10.3 



Nitrogen partition in the urine of the normal sheep is seen to 

 follow the general mammalian type, the only point worthy of 

 special note being the comparatively small proportion of purine 

 nitrogen excreted as allantoin. In the urine of the thyroidec- 

 tomized animal the only constituents apparently affected are 

 ammonia and creatine. The percentage of the first is lower than 

 the normal at corresponding stages of starvation. (One only of 

 the three operated sheep — the one least affected by fasting — 

 showed figures similar to the controls.) The creatine rises early 

 in the fast to a higher level than the creatinine. The significance 

 of this "creatine crossing" is not clear. It might be supposed to 

 be related to the susceptibility of the animals to withdrawal of 

 food; but, curiously, in the one subject that survived a week, 

 creatine exceeded creatinine from the very first day of observation. 

 Complete data will be published shortly. 



