Dogs with well-advanced pneumonia or distemper refuse all food. Such dogs show complete atony and absence of gastric hunger contractions. This is likely the condition of the empty stomach in all acute infections of sufficient severity. The mechanism of the failure of the hunger contractions in these acute infections is not known. The bacterial toxins may depress the motor mechanism of the stomach directly, lower the vagus tonus, augment inhibitory reflexes, or induce excessive secretion of epinephrin. The elevated temperature may also play a rdle. Cannon observed that infections also depress the digestion peristalsis of the stomach and intestines in cats.