Dec. 13. igis Beriberi and Cottonseed Poisoning in Pigs 491 



were fed a ration of 9 parts (by weight) of steamed polished rice and i part 

 of tankage, and four a ration of 2 parts of corn meal and : part of cotton- 

 seed meal. On October 24 the ration of the latter pigs was changed 

 to equal parts by weight of corn meal and cottonseed meal. None of 

 these pigs had received rice or cottonseed meal before they entered the 

 experiment. 



On September 8 one of the pigs on rice began to breathe with difficulty. 

 On the loth this condition was pronounced, and he refused to eat. On 

 September 14 these symptoms rapidly became more severe, paralysis de- 

 veloped, and the pig died shortly before noon. The ante-mortem symp- 

 toms were what one would expect to see in an acute case of so-called 

 cottonseed poisoning. They were, in fact, the symptoms of wet beriberi. 

 The post-mortem examination showed serous fluid in the pericardial sac 

 and in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. The heart was enlarged 

 and the cardiac muscle congested. The lungs were decidedly edematous 

 and mottled with a fair number of small subpleural hemorrhages. The 

 liver was intensely congested and enlarged. The spleen was apparently 

 unaltered, but was dark in color. The stomach showed several erosions 

 in the mucosa, and the walls were thickened. The small intestines were 

 slightly congested. Many of the mesenteric glands were enlarged and 

 congested. Both kidneys were congested, especially at the apices, which 

 were deep cherry-red in color. The bladder was distended with urine, 

 which contained a large amount of albumin. Except for the large 

 quantity of albumin, this is exactly what one would expect to find in a 

 beriberi necropsy. It is also what is found in an acute cottonseed-meal 

 necropsy. 



On September 21 four additional pigs were placed on the same steamed 

 rice and tankage ration (9 :i). On September 29 one of these pigs became 

 sick and on September 30 it refused to eat. He recovered and regained 

 his normal appetite, but died on October 29, after having been on the 

 rice diet for 38 days. The ante-mortem symptoms corresponded closely 

 to those of the first pig to die, but the post-mortem examination did 

 not give such clear-cut results. The sciatic nerves of this pig were 

 dissected out immediately after the post-mortem examination and, 

 after being treated by the Marchi method, showed considerable degen- 

 eration of the nerve fibers. 



The writers believe that pigs fed a ration in which rice is the chief 

 component will develop beriberi as do human beings, but much more 

 quickly. Weight is given to this belief by the experience of Moore,^ 

 who lost pigs fed on " rice meal " ^ from a disease which Hadwen ^ suspects 

 to be beriberi. 



* Moore, P. H. Hog-feeding experiments. In Canada Exp. Farms Rpts. [igial/ij, P- 611-613. 1914. 



Preliminary note on the effects of feeding rice meal to pigs. In Canada Dept. Agr. Rpt. Vet. 



Dir. Gen. [i9i3]/i4, p. 137-141- 1915- 



2 Apparently not the rice meal of our Southern States. 



3 Hadwen, S. Notes on the pathology and symptoms of rice-meal fed pigs. In Canada Dept. Agr. Rpt. 

 Vet. Dir. Gen. [19131/14, p. 140. 1915. 



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