THE VITAMINES IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 77 



Long before the introduction of the vitamine theory in the study 

 of nutrition, Schottelius (196) sought to solve the problem as to 

 whether it was possible to raise animals in a sterile state, and to keep 

 them alive for a long time. After overcoming great experimental 

 difficulties, among which was the construction of specially designed 

 apparatus, he was finally able to raise and keep young chickens under 

 sterile conditions. The animals, however, soon became cachectic and 

 died. Using similar methods, Belonowsky (197) was no more fortu- 

 nate. The problem was then undertaken with lower and higher 

 animals by various workers. Of the lower animals, flies were chiefly 

 used. In this connection, there are the experiments of Bogdanow 

 (198) who attempted to raise larvae of meat flies (Calliphora vomi- 

 toria) in a sterile condition. He proceeded as follows : the eggs were 

 sterilized with sublimate and the larvse cultivated upon sterile meat. 

 They grew very slowly, and showed no metamorphosis. Since they 

 did not survive, Bogdanow concluded that bacteria are necessary for 

 this type of insect. In a number of experiments, Delcourt and 

 Guyenot (199), and also Guyenot himself, sought to reach the goal 

 by the use of a different method. They attempted to obtain aseptic 

 larvse through successive cultures on an acid medium. They noted 

 that flies could live on yeast and, after several generations, also on 

 sterile potato. Larvse grew well on peptone and salt, but showed 

 no metamorphosis. Wollmann (200), following the method of 

 Bogdanow, carried these investigations further, and came to the 

 same conclusions as the latter. 



A number of animals, like the scorpion and winter lizard, are 

 supposed to have sterile intestines and hence are specially suitable 

 for such experiments. Mme. Metchnikoff (201) tried to raise frogs' 

 larvse in a sterile state but without success. Moro (202) had already 

 made similar experiments with larvse of the alliaceous toad. The 

 larvse could be kept alive for 35 days, but their growth was much 

 less favorable than that of the controls. Since all these experiments 

 appeared to be rather indefinite (at least for the pre-vitamine period), 

 Cohendy (203) undertook the experiments of Schottelius with 

 chickens. For this purpose, he built a very ingenious apparatus, in 

 which the food, together with the whole paraphernalia, was sterilized 

 at 115C. for 25 minutes, or for 1J hours at 118C. Cohendy 

 reported that he had obtained good results with this arrangement, 

 and came to the conclusion that life is quite possible in the absence 



