72 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



this vitamine. 2la Steenbock has recently found that altho white corn is 

 deficient in the vitamine, yellow corn contains enough for normal 

 growth of rats. Fortunately, the green portions of plants have, so far as 

 they have been investigated, been found to be rich in the vitamine ; as 

 are also the softer portions of beef fat, cod-liver oil, carrots, and sweet 

 potatoes. Hemp seed and some varieties of millet seed contain fair 

 amounts, and linseed meal, soybeans and field peas have appreciable 

 quantities. Irish potatoes, mangels, sugar beets, and dasheens are low in 

 this fat-soluble vitamine. Skim milk and whey contain much less than 

 whole milk. 



The discovery that the green parts of plants are rich in this vita- 

 mine, coupled with the further fact that the vitamine is not rendered 

 inactive by drying, such as occurs in hay -making, is of prime importance 

 in feeding live stock. Because of this, farm animals consuming plenty 

 of good quality roughage, such as legume hay, will undoubtedly secure 

 enough of the vitamine. There may sometimes be danger of a deficiency 

 with pigs reared without pasture or legume hay, and with young calves 

 being raised on milk substitutes. Yellow corn is probably not superior 

 to white corn for feeding dairy cows, beef cattle, horses, or sheep, if 

 they are supplied with plenty of good roughage. As is pointed out 

 later (939), it has been found superior to white corn for pigs in dry 

 lots and receiving no other feeds rich in the fat-soluble vitamine. For 

 pigs on pasture it was no better. 



The second vitamine, which is soluble in water, and is therefore called 

 the water-soluble vitamine, was discovered by Funk 22 in the study of 

 the disease known as beri-beri. This malady, which causes general 

 weakness and even paralysis, affects humans in districts of the Orient 

 where the inhabitants live mainly on polished rice. When unpolished 

 rice, carrying the germ, and part of the husk, is eaten instead, this 

 disease does not occur. Animals affected with this disease are cured by 

 administering the water-extract of rice germ, or of other foods rich in the 

 water-soluble vitamine. While this vitamine is not present in the purified 

 nutrients proteins, starch, sugars, or fats it is more widely distributed 

 than the fat-soluble vitamine and in more generous amounts. An abun- 

 dance has been found by McCollum, Osborne and Mendel, Hart and Steen- 

 bock, and others in most ordinary foods, such as the cereals and other 

 seeds, milk, eggs, and the leafy portion of plants. Yeast is especially 

 rich in the vitamine. It is not destroyed by drying or exposure to light. 

 Therefore all ordinary rations for live stock will contain an ample supply 

 of the water-soluble vitamine. Tho highly milled flour contains little of 

 this vitamine, humans eating a modern varied diet undoubtedly secure 



21 aFor general discussions of vitamines and extended bibliographies see : Sher- 

 man, The Vitamines, 1922; Eddy, The Vitamine Manual, 1921; and Harrow, 

 Vitamines, Essential Food Factors, 1921. 



^Ergeb. Physiol., 13, 1913, p. 125. 



