1002 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXXI, No. 11 
more than 75 per cent of the fat present at the beginning of the test. 
The marrow of the hollow bones of steer No. 592, which was fed the 
submaintenance ration for 11 months, contained practically no fat. 
Table I. — Effect of fattening , maintenance, and submaintenance rations on 
development of steers a 
Part of organ 
Maintenance steers 
Submaintenance steers 
Fat steer 
No. 597 
(6 months) 
No. 595 
(12 months) 
No. 591 
(6 months) 
No. 592 
(11 months) 
No. 593 
(6 months) 
Empty weight—.. 
Per cent 
change 
+0.19 
Per cent 
change 
-1.60 
Per cent 
change 
-18.67 
Per cent 
change 
-30.67 
Per cent 
change 
+11.40 
Carcass_ _ 
—1.45 
—1.83 
—21.83 
—36.77 
+13.30 
- -2.80 
Blood___ __ 
-4.90 
+.72 
-17.47 
-16.71 
Heart (muscle)_ _ _ _ 
-11.99 
+14. 64 
-6. 56 
-. 59 
+2.50 
Brain___ 
-3.99 
+17.08 
+19.83 
+16.34 
+1.88 
Spinal cord_ _ 
+24.14 
+83.68 
+36.31 
+39.42 
+18.27 
Liver___ 
-40.78 
-29.29 
-57. 90, 
-52. 75 
-24.42 
Spleen_ __ ... __ 
-17.62 
+19.09 
-27.79 
-41.86 
+5.75 
Kidneys- - 
-17.91 
+1.64 
-23.17 
-6.32 
-.47 
Pancreas.... _ _ 
-22.82 
+41.03 
-43.80 
-44.48 
-4.13 
Thymus—____ ___ _ 
+12.25 
-21.21 
-40.69 
-83.58 
+35.04 
Stomachs_ _ _ _ 
+15.78 
+33.11 
+. 52 
-2.37 
+45.40 
Intestines_ 
-14.37 
+2.93 
-21.20 
-7.11 
+7.20 
Lungs and trachea.... 
-6.67 
+1. 70 
+9.05 
+.68 
+2.36 
a This table has been prepared by recalculating the data presented in Table 21 of the report by Trow¬ 
bridge, Moulton, and Haigh (18, p. 64 .- 66 ) so as to show the percentage change in weight of the different parts 
and organs of the animals during the feeding periods. The control animal slaughtered at the beginning of 
the test was used as the standard of reference. 
The data in Table I show very clearly the pronounced effects of 
undernutrition on the development of the different parts and organs 
of the steer. In view of the marked losses suffered by most of the 
organs and by the carcass as a whole, it is noteworthy that some 
organs maintained their weight or even increased it. 
In another publication Moulton (11) has reported the results of 
a chemical study of the flesh, blood, and liver of the same lot of 
steers, and in summarizing his results states, in part: 
Inanition or partial starvation does not cause a watery muscular tissue. Fat 
is almost entirely resorbed, while glycogen apparently is not * * *. The 
phosphorus content of the flesh is reduced 10 to 15 per cent. 
The liver has a somewhat higher water content in the starved animal, accompanied 
by a high nitrogen content. * * * The glycogen content is not depleted. 
The blood has more water and less nitrogen in the fasted steer. 
The muscle fibers have become very much smaller, but still are functioning 
muscle fibers. 
Feder (2) determined the composition of the flesh of four emaciated 
cattle, but since two of the animals were affected with recognized 
diseases the analyses of these carcasses will not be discussed. The 
composition of the flesh of the other two emaciated cattle is shown 
in Table II. 
Table II. — Composition of flesh of emaciated cattle 
[Results are expressed in terms of percentages of fresh material] • 
Description of sample 
Moisture 
Fat 
Ash 
Nonfatty 
organic 
matter 
Ratio of 
nonfatty 
organic 
matter to 
moisture 
1 . Muscle from shoulder of 7-year-old cow which had 
become exhausted during transit on railway. 
Badly emaciated. No pathological changes in 
organs__ _ _ 
Per cent 
78. 95 
Per cent 
1.33 
Per cent 
1.14 
Per cent 
18.58 
1:4.25 
2 . Composite sample of very watery flesh from an 
animal so badly emaciated that practically all 
fat had been used up. No pathological changes 
in organs. Meat sold on “Freibank”_ 
80. 78 
0.35 
0.98 
17.89 
1:4.52 
The data in this table were taken from the report by Feder ( 8 ). 
