PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS DUE TO LACK OF VITAMINES 379 

 INTESTINAL STASIS, ETC. 



Following his interesting findings in the intestines in avian beriberi, 

 McCarrison (1481) sought to apply his results to an explanation 

 of some obscure intestinal disorders. He thought for example, that 

 properly nourished children showed less tendency towards intussus- 

 ception. Among the diseases which McCarrison associated with 

 the vitamines is intestinal stasis, which was treated by Sir Arbuthnot 

 Lane (1482), and later, intestinal toxemia and the so-called "coeliac 

 disease," described by Still (1483). The latter observed, among 

 41 cases, 4 that had scurvy previous to developing coeliac disease. 

 As an indication of the lack of vitamines, McCarrison pointed out 

 dilatation of the stomach, air pockets in the intestine, impairment 

 of the neuro-vascular control of the gastro-intestinal tract, formation 

 of stomach ulcer and especially colitis. Mackenzie Wallis (1484) 

 adopted the view of McCarrison in regard to coeliac disease, in that 

 he made use of vitamine therapy in this condition among children, 

 with good results. 



STERILITY 



Reynolds and Macomber (1485) found that when rats are fed 

 on inadequate diets (also in the case of vitamine deficiency) they 

 exhibit a marked diminution in fertility. This viewpoint which is 

 well borne out by laboratory experience has been considered in the 

 treatment of analogous conditions in man and favorable results have 

 been reported. 



HEMERALOPIA 



We have already seen that in the various human avitaminoses, 

 hemeralopia was frequently observed. This is not associated with 

 any particular vitamine, but arises unspecifically, perhaps on any 

 kind of inadequate diet. We have nevertheless found data in the 

 literature pointing to a widespread occurrence of this eye affection, 

 which was favorably influenced by cod liver oil. Ishiwara (1486) 

 saw such cases in Japan. He studied the lipoid content of the blood 

 and found it decreased. When the disease was cured, the figures 

 returned to normal. Tricoire (1487) observed among French soldiers, 

 320 such cases which were promptly cured by cod liver oil. 

 H. Smith (1487a) is of the opinion that hemeralopia has mostly been 

 simulated during the war since the visual field was not diminished as 



