— 103 ——— 
Philippine dialect, the nature and danger of 
the experiments which would be made on 
them. They were told that the disease might 
end fatally for them, but that all that they 
were required to do was to eat certain kinds 
of rice. In compensation, they would receive 
as much tobacco and as many cigars as they 
liked. Twenty-nine offered themselves vo- 
luntarily. They were made to sign a docu- 
ment declaring that they had offered them 
selves of their own free will, and promised 
to continue until the end. They were divided 
into 4 groups: three of these groups were 
taken to one side of the building and the 
4th group to the other side. 
The sanitary conditions were excellent, 
and extreme vigilance was exercised to pre- 
vent the men receiving the slightest portion of 
food, outside that which was given them 
for the experiment. Their food was prepared 
by a special cook, and carefully weighed out 
for them at each meal. When cooked, the 
the food was served out to them in equal 
portions. Each person received his ration in 
a bowl separated for him, with his number 
on it. For each meal, fresh rice was cooked 
and was given hot. 
Diet used. 
Slight repast called little breakfast: — 
Bread—100 grs.—Coffee 500 cc. Sugar 15 
grs. First Breakfast: Rice 300 grs. — Bacon 50 
grs. Second Breakfast: Rice 300 grs. — Onions 
100 grs. — Butter 15 grs. Third Breakfast — Rice 
300 grs.— Bread 100 grs. Fourth Breakfast — 
Rice 200 grs. — Bread 150 grs. — Bacon 30 grs. 
First Dinner: Rice 50 grs.—Onions 150 
grs. — Butter 20 grs. Second Dinner: Rice 300 
grs.— Bacon 50 grs; Third Dinner: Rice 300 
grs.- 150 grs. 
This diet was given alternately to groups 
I, H and NI. On the ninety—seventh day, 
and on the eighty first day for the third 
group 30 grs of codfish and 100 grs of po- 
tatoes were added, served with 300 grs of rice 
and alternated with the other food. The diet 
was the same for all except in the quality 
of the rice used. 
The plan for the experiments was as 
follows. 
Group I.—Polished white rice with meal 
from the rice husk. 
Group II.—White rice and alcoholic ex- 
tract of the cuticle. 
Group J11.—Polished white rice. 
In spite of all, after some days some of 
the prisoners would not eat rice mixed with 
meal of the cuticle or prepared in a manner 
that made their food palatable. For instance 
Group 1 would not eat rice with meal and 
they were given dark rice (brown rice not 
polished) whichis called pirawa in the Phil- 
lippine Islands. The extract of bran was made 
by Dr. FELIX OCKSON of the laboratory 
of the College of Medicine by the process of 
VEDDER and CHAMBERLAIN. 
These experiments are worthy of being 
copied in totum but unfortunately it would 
draw out our paper to an undue length. We 
will therefore make a synopsis and give the 
conclusions. 
STRONG and CROWELL drew the fol- 
lowing conclusions, 
1. Beriberi in these men was due to 
their diet and therefore the disease has a 
dietic origin. 
2. Beriberi appears when there is a want 
in the food of one or more substances neces- 
sary for the normal physiological processes 
of the organism. 
3. When these substances are not found 
in the diet beriberi ensues. The substances 
exist in brown rice and in smaller quantities 
in the alcoholic extract of rice-bran, so that 
when one ofthese things are added to a diet 
physiologically appropriate, it prevents the ap- 
pearance of beriberi symptoms. 
4. In some cases though this substance 
forms part of the diet, the latter not being 
varied and being limited in kind, the patient 
loses his appetite and weight. These pati- 
ents may present beriberi symptoms. The 
symptoms can however be stopped by chan- 
ging the diet or adding other nutritive foods 
to it. 
5. It is evident, say STRONG and CRO- 
