Evening star., 1932-02-02
MEANS TO RETARD
GROWTH IS FOUND
Scientists Tests on Rats
Keep Size Stationary for
Year or More.
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY.

Discovery of growth dam" Is re-
ported by nutritionists of the Carnegie
Institution of Washington.
This is a diet by which the growth
Of young rats can be stopped and the
weight kept stationary Tor an entire
year, after which, when the animals
again are given a normal diet, growth
proceeds at from two to three times
the ordinary rate.
This result is obtained according to
the Carnegie Institution report by re-
moving from the diet all the protein
elements containing nitrogen and sub
stituting for them gliadin, form of
gelatin, which is obtained from animal
connective tissues This keeps the
animals alive in a fair state of health,
but the weight does not change as
long as the diet is continued.
Later Growth Remarkable.
But the report says, when suit
able changes III diet were instituted
resumption of growth took place i'll
several instances at a rate OF more
than eight grams a day Tor several
days and at a rate OF seven grams a
day for periods OF two Weei,a, The
average rate 1or the same period il
male rats OF our colony on SOCK diets
- 4tNS llldLl Nl44Nt & dlIlS Il NoN
Growth has been stopped i'll other
rats by removing from the diet the
essential amino acid lySine and similar
remarkable growth in rats have been
rOted The gains the report says,
are as striking as any reported by
other Investigators from injecting rats
with extracts from the anterior lobe
OF the pituitary gland, disorders OF
which are responsible for human
giants" The question has been raised,
the report says. whether the eXtraOr-
dinary growth obtained from certain
diets is not some way tied up with
chemical stimulation Of this anterior
pituitary.
The Carnegie nutrition experiments
are being conducted in laboratories a.
Yale University under the direction OF
Drs L. B. MenGel and H B. ViCiery.
One object has been the study OF the
growth rate OF different parts of the
body in relation to various diets.
EyebaIl Is Exception.
This study, conducted by Gardiner
B Moment, shows. according to the
report that the weight of any organ of
the body is related closely to the
weight of the whole animal and is
not function of the rate al which
it grew. The only exception is the
eyeball II was found that the eye
balls of the slower growing animals
were uniformly larger than those Of
the more rapid growers. Even in the
case of rats VINO were retarded in
growth for long periods, increasing in
weight only from go to 120 grams while
their litter mates were increasing from
so to 400 grams. the eyeballs were
about as big as those Of the larger
animals
Another diet experiment reported by
the Carnege Institution involved radical
changes in the DOne-fOrming elements
calcium and phosphorus. and without
additions of yitamin D. When the
calcium phosphorus ratio in the diet
is greatly altered a leSSening Of cal
cification can be seen in some of the
teeth Where the diet is deficient in
phosphorus the changes are made more
notable by the addition of vitamin D.
Where the deficiency is in calcium
yitamln D seems to help.
1T is suggested" the report says,
"that in the case of lowered phosphorus
content the addition of vitamin D to
the diet tends to raise the calcium
level of the blood. which in an effort
to maintain the calcium phosphorus
balance withdrawS further phOsC sChorus
from it's depOts in the body. such as
the bones and teeth. But where
vitamin D is added to a low calcium
diet there appears to be a tendency
to increase the calcium absorption from
the intestine. thus protecting the de-
rOtS in the bones and teeth -