432 THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF B VITAMINS 



A list of topics that have been suggested in this regard is provided in 

 Table 36. Only two are of sufficient promise to merit any greater discus- 

 sion at present. 



p-Aminobenzoic acid has recently been shown to be an highly effective 

 and specific chemotherapeutic agent against various rickettsial diseases. 



Table 36. Various Pathological Conditions Associated with or 

 Reported as Responding to B Vitamin Therapy 

 Condition Reference 



Infectious Diseases 

 Bacterial 



In mice infected with murine typhus, incorporation of 3 per cent of PABA 

 into the diet results in a 100 per cent survival, compared with zero sur- 

 vival for untreated controls. Similar results have been obtained with 

 Rocky Mountain spotted fever in guinea pigs, 221 and the use of PABA 

 in humans infected with these diseases has been shown to be highly 

 effective. The precise reasons for these effects are obscure, however. The 



