Biochemical properties of the blood of pigeons in polyneuritis and starvation. 1

Abstract

The data in Table 1, showing the analyses of the whole blood of (1) normal pigeons, (2) normal pigeons starved until they had lost 40 per cent. of their body weight, (3) pigeons with “latent” polyneuritis, (4) pigeons with acute polyneuritis, (5) pigeons which had attained normal weight following acute polyneuritis, i.e. “relieved polyneuritis,” and (6) pigeons starved to a 40 per cent. loss of weight following “relieved polyneuritis,” indicate that the decrease in total solids and in the nitrogenous constituents of the blood, both protein and non-protein, as well as the diminution in the erythrocytes, are probably due to the self-imposed starvation which accompanies the later stages of polyneuritis in pigeons. It is to be noted, however, that simple inanition in its advanced stages is accompanied by a decline in the relative amount of protein in the blood which is not apparent even in acute polyneuritis. This result is contrary to the recent observations of Pacchinsa. 2

None of the usual “symptoms” of polyneuritis accompanied simple inanition in these experiments. The polyneuritis diet consisted of a mixture of polished rice, casein, butter fat and salts.