228 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



1912 the death-rate was still 2, then suddenly in February it 

 rose to $6. The issue of polished rice was immediately 

 stopped, but beri-beri had now set in, and in March the 

 number of deaths was 60. The death-rate then fell in April 

 to 3, and in the succeeding months to even less. 



The above facts are most simply explained by the view 

 originally put forward by Gryns (1901), which states that the 

 husk of the rice contains something which is essential for the 

 maintenance of the proper metabolism of the peripheral nervous 

 system. This mysterious " something " has been termed 

 " vitamine " by Casimir Funk, who has succeeded in extracting 

 it from rice bran and obtaining it in a more or less pure state. 

 Later on, the same or a similar vitamine was found to be 

 obtainable from yeast. It was crystalline and melted at 210 ° C. 



The curative properties of this substance were investigated 

 in the following way : A number of pigeons were fed from ten 

 to twenty-one days on polished rice until they developed the 

 characteristic symptoms of polyneuritis. In control animals it 

 was found that the usual length of life after these symptoms had 

 developed was from six to twelve hours. One of these birds, 

 represented in fig. 3 (reproduced from Dr. Casimir Funk's 

 article in the British Medical Journal, 191 3), received 8 

 milligrammes of the vitamine by injection into the pectoral 

 muscle. Two hours later, the bird, instead of being dead, flew 

 away to its cage, and had to be photographed on its perch. 

 It seemed as well as ever. The diet of polished rice was there- 

 fore continued, and in six days the symptoms of the disease were 

 again apparent, a fresh injection being again sufficient to restore 

 life and energy to the bird. 



In fig. 5 we have another bird showing typical signs of 

 polyneuritis. Four milligrammes of the vitamine were injected, 

 and the result is seen in fig. 6. 



In another bird (fig. 7,) 8 milligrammes of vitamine were 

 sufficient to bring about complete recovery in three hours. 



The anti-beri-beri vitamine has also been detected in milk, 

 oats, wheat, barley, maize, and beans ; in cabbage and other 

 vegetables ; in common white bread and in ox brain. It is 

 soluble in water and alcohol, and passes through a semi-per- 

 meable membrane. It is destroyed by heating to 100 ° C. 



As regards its chemical structure not much can at present 

 be said. It appears to be a mixture or combination of three 



