RICKETS 



321 



However, the number of cases investigated is insufficient, besides 

 which there is the possibility of a spontaneous cure to be considered. 

 As a result of their rat experiments, Sherman -and Pappenheimer 

 (1112b) and Pappenheimer, McCann, Zucker and Hess (1112c) 

 are inclined to the belief in the therapeutic influence of phosphorus 

 alone. They believed they could produce rickets in rats on a 

 phosphorus-poor diet, and then effect a cure by the addition of 

 phosphorus. These experiments appeared not very convincing at 

 first, but have since received additional experimental proof. Lie"naux 

 and Huynen (1113) do not believe in the therapeutic influence of 

 calcium in rickets. 



In opposition to the above more or less definite results, there are 

 the findings of Hess and Unge (1114) on negro children in New York. 

 In these cases, cod liver oil was used without any phosphorus addi- 

 tion. In the negro section, about 90 per cent of all the children are 

 rachitic; the mortality is about 314 per 1000, in which tuberculosis, 

 pneumonia, and whooping cough play the greatest part, it being 

 known that rickets predisposes towards disease of the respiratory 

 organs. Altogether, 40 children were given cod liver oil, while 16 

 children served as controls. The children were between 4 and 12 

 months old and the complete results were as follows : 



The children were mostly breast-fed and the results of the therapy, 

 especially in cases receiving more cod liver oil, were very marked. 

 These investigators (I.e. 1044) studied also the diet of the mothers 

 and found it very deficient. The results of Ferguson (1115) were 

 about the same as the above. A number of out patient cases of 

 rickets were treated by Mackay (1115a): Small doses of cod liver 

 oil, butter or cottonseed oil had no influence, but larger doses of 

 cod liver oil were effective. According to Aron (1115b) carrot 

 extract was of no value in rickets. 



