VITAMINE CONTENT OF FOODSTUFFS 257 



The description of infantile beriberi by Hirota (743) and Andrews 

 (744) showed, of course, that the vitamines in milk must originate in 

 the food of the mother, since these young ones were nursed by mothers 

 suffering from beriberi. The question as to the nutritive value of 

 heated milk, especially in relation to infantile scurvy and without 

 knowledge of vitamines, was treated by Sir Thomas Barlow, Neu- 

 mann, Heubner and others ; we shall discuss this work in detail in the 

 chapter on scurvy. 



Influence of food on the vitamine content and composition of milk 



Because of the proof of the variation in the composition of 

 milk, we are in position to explain some of the divergent statements 

 in the literature. These facts, long known to cattle breeders 

 and milk producers, of course without any knowledge of vita- 

 mines, must be proven anew from the viewpoint of the vitamines. 

 That the milk may possess a different nutritive value according to the 

 fodder, has been shown by Carr, Spitzer, Caldwell and Anderson 

 (745), Hart, Nelson and Pitz (746), McCollum and Simmonds (747) 

 and Drummond (748). A series of interesting experiments were 

 published by Eckles, Palmer and Swett (749-750) . The latter showed 

 that the composition of milk is not constant; especially does the 

 protein and fat content vary considerably. The recognition of the 

 variation in the protein content of milk bears some relationship to our 

 modern conception of pellagra which we shall discuss further under 

 the subject of pellagra since under these conditions infantile 

 pellagra should be more frequently encountered, which is not the 

 case. The variation in the composition of milk explains the results 

 of Chick, Hume and Skelton (751), who found that for the protection 

 of guinea pigs against scurvy, a larger quantity of milk than that 

 found by us was necessary. The question as to the origin of milk 

 vitamines from the food has already been treated experimentally. 

 McCollum, Simmonds and Pitz (752) accepted this view for the vita- 

 mine A and B content of milk. Osborne and Mendel (I.e. 326) ob- 

 served no difference in the vitamine B content of summer and winter 

 milk. Regarding vitamine C, this relationship is very apparent. 

 Hart, Steenbock and Ellis (753) fed cows on dry and fresh fodder. 

 While of the milk resulting from the fresh fodder, 15 to 50 cc. daily 

 were necessary to protect guinea pigs from scurvy, of that arising from 

 the dry fodder, 50 to 75 cc. were necessary to produce the same result. 



