THE VITAMINE IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOMS 141 



which, though not yet explained etiologically, nevertheless always 

 give some indications showing that they may be avitaminoses. In 

 most cases, they occur on a large scale in Nature, and consequently 

 are specially deserving of our interest. 



Sheep and goats. Experimental investigations with these animals 

 were first made by Schaumann (I.e. 2). A goat, fed on corn and 

 white rice, lost weight rapidly and showed, according to Schaumann, 

 paresis, although corn certainly contains sufficient vitamine B. The 

 animal was then given yeast, Katjang-idjoe beans, and green fodder 

 (the latter for one month), with a resultant gain in weight. This 

 effect was attributed to the yeast and the beans, although the green 

 fodder very likely played a greater role. This experiment was not 

 clear and consequently is of little significance. Henriques and 

 Andersen (409) administered pa^enterally hydrolyzed meat, glucose, 

 sodium acetate and salts to goats. For 20 days, a marked nitrogen 

 retention was noted. They then heated the food mixture for 20 

 minutes at 110C., and were able to show that it was no longer 

 possible to maintain the nitrogen balance, except when the heating 

 was not carried beyond 100C. These results were attributed to the 

 susceptibility of tryptophane to heat. Fingerling (410) fed lambs on 

 inorganic and organic phosphorus combinations, without observing 

 any particular differences. He made the correct observation that 

 the frequently noted improper nutrition with inorganic phosphorus 

 compounds was not due to the character of the phosphorus, but to 

 the composition of the food itself. 



Theiler, Green and Viljoen (I.e. 278) were unable to demonstrate 

 an avitaminosis in sheep and goats. These animals tolerated the 

 rice diet better when an addition of autoclaved hay or straw was 

 made. Very soon, enteritis made its appearance, though in the 

 opinion of these investigators, this had nothing to do with the diet. 

 At all events, the requirements of vitamine B appear to be very 

 modest. 



The naturally occurring nutritional disturbances were described by 

 Hoare (411) as a form of edema, which develops because of an insuffi- 

 cient fodder and poor climatic conditions. A disease of sheep, known 

 as "staggers," was described by Jones and Arnold (412) in South 

 America. It is a nervous disturbance of sheep, as well as horses and 

 cattle, caused by the consumption of coarse grass (Poa Argentina). 

 They were not clear as to the etiology, and were more inclined 



