oxyde of phosphorus (? 3). SCHAUMANN 
believed that these organic combinations of 
phosphorus would be multiple and diverse: 
phosphatides, nucleic acid and probably many 
other substances which would act as sti- 
mulants, provoking and stimulating organic 
changes; they would be activating substan- 
ces. 
However, in 1911 FUNK isolated a subs- 
tance from rice-husks which had a_ specific 
curative power on the experimental beriberi 
of birds. This discovery was a landmark in 
“the study of the question. By means of phos- 
phoro-tungstenic acid and also by means of 
nitrate of silver inthe presence of baryte, he 
managed to precipitate an active substance of 
great curative value from the extract of rice- 
husks. Combining the two methods, he ob- 
tained an organic crystalline basic substance 
which melted at 2330. C. FUNK gave the che- 
mical formula (5 E 3 9) to this basis. This 
substance was obtained from yeast and from 
many other alimentary substances. The small 
dose of 2 centigr. was sufficient to cure 
pigeons attacked by aviarian beriberi. FUNK 
thovghi that the substance thus isolated 
“was of complex structure and analogous to 
amides and because of its great biological func- 
tions named it VITAMINE, as this vital amide 
is one of those nitrogenic substances, infini- 
tesimal quantities of which are indispensable 
in food, for the integrity of the nervous system 
of birds, men and other animals. “These stu- 
dies were confirmedin Manilla, by VEDDER 
and WILLIAMS, who, by the same methods, 
isolated the same crystallisable substance, 
which was effective in curing a pigeon at- 
tacked by polyneuritis, in a dose of only 
30 milligrs. 
In March, 1912, EVANS, SIMPSON and 
WEBSTER, managed to isolate from yeast 
an organic basis which they called TURU- 
LINA and which also cured experimental 
beriberi, and for which they gave the formula: 
c HNO 
(7 17 2 5). 
In 1912 TZUSUKI extracted from rice 
meal a substance which he called antiberi- 
berina. This was only an alcoholic extract 
identical with that which CHAMBERLAIN 
92 —— 
and VEDDER used for curing the disease 
in men. Orizanina found by SIMARUM 
and ODAKO (July 1912), obtained from the 
alcoholic extract of rice-meal by means of 
tannic acid, also cured beriberi in birds. 
FUNK’S discovery gave rise to an infinity 
of interesting studies and although chemists 
are not all agreed about the exact formula 
and the chemical constitution, the name vita- 
mine ought to be kept for the substance, 
which will doubtlessly latter on be found by 
means of more perfect analysis. The term 
VITAMINE ought even to become a generic 
name, not only for the substances found in rice- 
husks, yeast, Katjangidjo and other food- 
stuffs such as ox-brains, milk, horseflesh, the 
testicles of bulls etc. which have a protective 
action against beriberi, but also for the subs- 
tances in food which act against scurvy. 
Birds are not the only animals who 
show symptoms like those of beriberi in 
men. SCHAUMANN, in 1910, was successful 
in provoking polyneuritis in guinea-pigs, rats 
goats and a monkey. A dog, fed on meat 
sterilised at 120°, became completely paraly- 
sed. A goat fed on polihsed rice, became 
paralytic 3 or 4 months afterwards. HUL- 
SHOFF POL demonstrated the disease stu- 
died by SCHAUMANN in these animals to 
be the same as polyneuritis of birds and hu- - 
man beriberi. 
SHIGA and KUSANA, in spite of their 
being at first opposed to the identfication of 
human beriberi with the experimental beri- 
beri of SCHAUMANN, made some interes- 
ting experiments on monkeys. 
The first monkey fed on cooked rice 
died of tuberculosis at the end of a few 
weeks. The second, having lost in weight, 
showed paralysis of the legs at the end of 
37 days. At first the turn the disease 
would take was uncertain, but afterwards the 
paralysis progressed and became complete. 
Anaesthesia of the legs was present. The 
reflexes were at first augmented and ulti- 
mately abolished. Ausculation showed accen- 
tuation of the aortic sound and the pulmonary 
sound. The slightest exercise brought on 
palpations and there was considerable dys- 
