Severe undernutrition in growing and adult animals

Abstract

1. The body temperatures and resting oxygen consumptions of calorie-deficient and protein-deficient pigs have been measured at 12, 21, 26, 30, 36 and 40°.2. A fall in the environmental temperature was followed by a rise of the same order in the oxygen consumptions of the two groups of animals, and past and present evidence indicates that the rise in normal animals of the same size is similar.3. The rectal temperatures and oxygen consumptions of the protein-deficient pigs were higher at all the above temperatures than those of the calorie-deficient animals but not as high as those of normal animals.4. The differences in rectal temperatures and oxygen consumptions were highly significant at 30°, which is probably within or near the zone of thermal neutrality of all the animals.