142 THE VITAMINES 



towards the conception of a toxic phenomenon. The observed 

 symptoms were general weakness, muscle tremors, peculiar movement 

 of the head, stiffness of the limbs, intermittent paralysis with spastic 

 appearances, particularly after irritation, impairment of the visual 

 capacity and conjunctivitis. The disease could be produced experi- 

 mentally by feeding pampas grass. The time necessary for this 

 varied between 2 and 21 days, averaging 10 days, during which 

 spontaneous cures often occurred. By changing the diet, it was 

 possible to effect a cure. Young animals were far more susceptible 

 than grown ones, and the disease was attributed to a poison in the 

 grass, present at all seasons and in all parts of plants. The post- 

 mortem revealed nothing positive and afforded no definite indications 

 of the nature of the toxin. Reid and Aston (413) observed a bone 

 cachexia in sheep, which they referred back to a lack of inorganic 

 factors of the diet. 



Reindeer. Ibele (414) noted a disease called "Lecksucht" supposed 

 to be due to the lack of alkaline earths. 



It is difficult, without having personally seen these animals, to 

 draw a picture of the nature of the disease. The observation that 

 in one case the disease could be produced after two days feeding, 

 would speak against its being an avitaminosis, if the investigators 

 had not explicitly emphasized that this is possible only in certain 

 susceptible animals. This lack of resistance can be explained, at 

 least theoretically, by a previously occurring deficient dietary. 



Pigs. The nutrition of these animals was studied from two view- 

 points first, from that of the animal breeders in connection with the 

 food requirements, and secondly, from that of laboratory men in 

 relation to the vitamines. It is true, as Eward (415) pointed out, 

 that if these animals are permitted to select their own food, their 

 natural instinct will lead them to choose a correct diet. Conditions 

 are different in winter, however, when a prepared diet must be 

 provided. Hart and McCollum, as well as their co-workers, studied 

 the exact food requirements of pigs in relation to growth, maintenance 

 and reproduction. Such studies were published by Hart, McCollum 

 and Fuller (416) in 1908. They showed that pigs fed on rice and 

 washed bran suffered from osteoporosis, while those fed on unwashed 

 bran did not manifest this disease. At that time, the conclusion 

 was made that the phosphorus compounds were washed out with 

 water which of course does not hold today. Hart and McCollum 



