Nutrition and Growth

THE NATURE OF GROWTH Growth receives its impetus, in a general way, from two distinct sources of influence. There is aninternalfactor, representing in good part the hereditary features, among which the inherent growth impulse or capacity to grow is conspicuous. The other influence —theexternalfactor—involves the environment of growth and includes, among other agencies, the food supply. No single factor is entirely independent of the other. Of the growth impulse Rubner has subtly said:Ernährungsphysiologisch drückt er sich in dem Verhältniss der Ansatzgrösse zum Stoffwechsel aus. Nutrition can only give the growth impulse free play; neither can succeed without the other. The nutrition factor is controllable; the growth impulse is inborn and, in part at least, not subject to regulation at will. If growth were merely the resultant of the assimilation of food, the problems attending it would be somewhat simplified. The pathology of growth may, however,