INADEQUACY OF KNOWN VITAMINS FOR ANIMALS 



maintained on a diet containing seven synthetic B vitamins, but no 

 pyridoxine. P. J. Fouls ^ observed that dogs receiving a low protein 

 diet supplemented with aneurine, riboflavine, pyridoxine, nicotinic 

 acid and pantothenic acid developed a deficiency syndrome char- 

 acterised by loss of weight, moderate anaemia, dermal and peptic 

 ulcers and fatty cirrhotic livers ; ultimately most of the animals died. 

 A high protein diet prevented the condition, but the growth rate was 

 sub-optimal. A partial improvement resulted from the feeding of 

 choline, liver extract or a filtrate factor preparation from rice bran, 

 and complete improvement, except for a fibrosis of the liver, from 

 administration of the liver extract together with large amounts of 

 choline. A somewhat similar result was obtained by D. V. Frost 

 and F. P. Dann,^ who fed pups on a synthetic diet, supplemented by 

 anem-ine, riboflavine, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and 

 choline and noted that they developed deficiency symptoms. These 

 were relieved by administration of yeast, liver paste or a liver extract 

 fraction insoluble in 70 % alcohol. 



Fox pups and mink kits also developed deficiency symptoms on a 

 purified diet. These were relieved by feeding fresh liver. ^« 



Pigs 



Russell et al.'' maintained weanling pigs for up to 469 days on a 

 purified diet supplemented with aneurine, riboflavine, nicotinic acid, 

 pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, _/)-aminobenzoic acid and choline. The 

 animals grew as well during the first three months as did pigs on a 

 commercial feed, but later growth was slower, although there was 

 nothing in the behaviour or appearance of the " deficient " animals to 

 differentiate them from their more adequately nourished litter-mates. 

 They failed to reproduce on mating, however, and the addition of 

 dried liver to the ration did not restore the reproductive function. 



Chicks and Pigeons 



That " synthetic " rations are not completely adequate for chicks 

 has been demonstrated by several workers. Gillis et al.,^ for example, 

 reported that liver extracts contained a heat-stable factor essential 

 for reproduction in hens, although it did not increase the hatchability 

 of eggs, whilst a growth factor for chicks was reported to be present 

 in cow manure by M. Rubin and H. R. Bird.^ It was heat-stable and 

 non-dialysable, soluble in water and 50 % and 90 % ethyl alcohol, 

 but insoluble in chloroform and ether. It was differentiated from 

 folic acid, factors U, R and S and from \'itamins Bjq and B^, but 

 appears to be related to vitamin B^g (see page 544). 



Pigeons also developed deficiency symptoms, including a severe 

 39 609 



