Possible Relationship Between Cod Liver Oil and Muscular Degeneration of Herbivora Fed Synthetic Diets. ∗

We have made numerous attempts to formulate a satisfactory synthetic diet for herbivorous animals. In a previous communication, 1 in which partial success with an adult goat was recorded, it was reported that the synthetic diet caused paralysis in rabbits with a histological picture of muscle degeneration. These studies have been continued with goats, rabbits and guinea pigs, using diets as follows:

Six kids were transferred to the diet directly after weaning. They consumed it readily and grew at a normal rate for 2 1/2 to 3 months, when the growth rate declined but all animals continued to eat well. The first death occurred after 133 days on the diet and 4 others died during the following 2 months. The remaining animal lived until the 315th day. All animals died suddenly without obvious symptoms.

The characteristic finding on autopsy was the evidence of failing circulation, consisting of intermuscular edema of the legs, increased fluid in body cavities, and congestion and edema of the lungs. There was frequently a severe hemorrhagic enteritis, often associated with large amounts of blood stained fluid in the lumen of the small intestine. Fatty degeneration of the liver and kidneys was also a frequent finding. Although no case of stiffness, such as is found regularly in the rabbits, was observed, gross muscle lesions were found in several of the goats. On histological examination muscle lesions were found in all cases. The skeletal muscle lesions were similar to hyaline, waxy or Zenker's degenerative changes. There was also a proliferation of fibroplastic tissue which tended to replace the degenerating muscle.