326 Vitamines and Deficiency Diseases [June-September 



the same wet nurse — in the first period, heated to 60° C. in a water 

 bath; in the second period, boiled for 3-4 min. At the end of 

 the experiment the second child weighed 400 gm. less, and was 

 weaker than the control. 



On the other hand Dennett (56) found that prolonged use of 

 boiled milk does not necessarily cause rickets. Scurvy can be 

 avoided by adding antiscorbutica. He found that boiled milk is just 

 as digestible as raw milk but is more liable to cause indigestion. He 

 expressed the opinion, however, that further study of this subject 

 was desirable. Dennett's paper was read before the American 

 Medical Association. In the ensuing discussion, Neff said that he 

 noted the development of scurvy on a diet of raw milk, a condition 

 which in my opinion must be extremely rare and due, very likely, 

 to natural deficiency of scurvy-vitamine in the particular milk in- 

 volved. Lowenberg cured scurvy with raw milk; in his own cases 

 he had not seen scurvy develop with a diet of boiled milk to which 

 had been added meat broth and vegetable broth. Scott expressed 

 the opinion that the boiling of milk diminishes its food value. 

 Graves saw a case of scurvy which resulted from a diet of boiled 

 milk and thinks additions of antiscorbutica to boiled milk are neces- 

 sary to prevent scurvy under such conditions. 



IV. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BERIBERI, SCURVY AND PELLAGRA 



These diseases show to a careful observer some connecting links. 

 Darling described scurvy that developed on a diet of overmilled 

 maize. Ohler was able to produce beriberi with maize-meal in f owls. 

 I was not able to produce any disturbance in pigeons, however, by 

 feeding them on highly milled maize. Stannus (57) described 131 

 cases of pellagra, on a rice diet, in Central Prison, in Zomba (Nyasa- 

 land). The diet there consisted of i^^ Ib. of rice daily, with salt. 

 Vegetables, fish or meat were given only occasionally — about once 

 in a fortnight. 



The question arises : What are the differences among diets that 

 occasion the outbreak of these entirely different though closely 

 allied diseases. Few words of explanation are necessary here. 

 Beriberi occurs on diets which consist chiefly of starchy food, e. g., 

 polished rice, white bread, tapioca, sago and other vitamine-free 



