voegtlin: role of vitamines in nutrition 583 



picture appears to possess all of the earmarks of an intoxication. 

 The rapid recovery might be considered as an antagonistic action 

 of the vitamine to some toxic product contained in the tissues 

 of the animal. This leads me to mention a very striking rela- 

 tion that exists between the beri-beri vitamine (antineuritic) and 

 carbohydrate metabolism. Funk, and Braddon and Cooper 

 observed that for each gram of carbohydrate in the diet there 

 must also be present a certain minimal quantity of vitamine, in 

 order to prevent the occurrence of experimental beri-beri in 

 pigeons. If the carbohydrate or starchy component of the diet 

 is increased, the vitamine content must be increased accordingly. 

 This explains some of the earlier observations that a diet rich 

 in carbohydrates is more apt to give rise to the appearance of 

 beri-beri in man. It is possible that in the absence of a sufficient 

 vitamine content of the body the intermediate products of carbo- 

 hydrate metabolism may exert a toxic action of some kind which 

 is antagonized by the administration of a sufficient amount of 

 vitamine. So far the natural vitamines were shown to be devoid 

 of any toxic action, if given in moderate doses. 



It is of prime importance to state here that the animal body is 

 not capable of manufacturing the known vitamines from vitamine- 

 free food. All of the higher animals, including men, receive their 

 vitamine supply directly or indirectly from plants. It is the 

 plant that synthesizes the vitamine, and we obtain our necessary 

 vitamine supply either by eating vegetable food or animal food. 

 Cows store up in their bodies the vitamines which they consume 

 in their fodder; part of it is secreted with the milk, supplying the 

 calf with the necessary vitamines, as well as furnishing a valuable 

 source of vitamine for man. Chickens transfer part of the vi- 

 tamine content of their cereal food into the eggs they lay. It is 

 the plant which keeps up the vitamine supply essential for animal 

 life. The plant is capable of building up the vitamine from 

 simple inorganic compounds, another example of the wonderful 

 synthetic power of plants. 



What becomes of the vitamines in the body of animals f This is 

 a very pertinent question, which is not easily answered. Some 

 years ago Funk was able to obtain a small quantity of anti- 



