THE ANTIBEBIBERI VITAMINE 217 



an avitaminosis, and how many of the beriberi symptoms must be 

 attributed to a condition of starvation. 



The discovery of glucosuria in pigeon beriberi may evidently be 

 -connected with some observations made by McCarrison (I.e. 296). 

 He found that in avian beriberi, the suprarenals undergo considerable 

 enlargement and are characterized by a high adrenaline content. 

 Here too, an increased adrenaline content was found in starving 

 pigeons, but not so much as in beriberi pigeons. The adrenals were 

 also somewhat enlarged. In the same publication we find numerous 

 data on temperature, respiration and weight of the individual organs 

 in avian beriberi, which are also of physiological interest. 



In concluding this chapter, we wish to point out that in considering 

 the vitamine B requirements, we must take note of the composition 

 of the diet as regards protein, carbohydrate and fat. These require- 

 ments are possibly dependent also on the simultaneous presence or 

 absence of other vitamines. If, for example, the quantity of vitamine 

 A is too little, the requirements for vitamine B are perhaps increased. 

 However, there are as yet no available data on this point. 



