Severe undernutrition in growing and adult animals

McMeekan (1940) showed that when the materials required for the growth of pigs are in short supply the bones take high priority in the allocation of the available nutrients. A similar result was obtained by Pomeroy (1941) in an experiment in which older pigs were given a submaintenance diet. These findings are in agreement with those of earlier workers who had found that the bones of other species, held on maintenance or submaintenance diets, continued to grow even at the expense of other tissues although admittedly at a much slower rate than those of well-nourished animals (Waters, 1909; Aron, 191 I ; Growth in 'thickness', which occurs 'late' in the development of the pig, was affected to a greater degree than growth in length.