THE USE OF THE WILD NORWAY RAT FOR PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH*

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Abstract
The author contrasts the wild Norway rat with a strain that has been domesticated for over 25 years. Anatomic differences based on organ wts. reveal that in the process of domestication the thyroid, prostate, preputial glands, and spleen have undergone marked atrophy. A smaller but definite atrophy was found in heart, kidneys, liver, brain,'' pancreas and seminal vesicles. Definite hypertrophy in the domesticated strain occurred in pituitary, thymus and uterus. Some of the behavior differences are considered.