210 THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



in polished rice are eaten with rice insures that an abundance 

 of the antineurotic vitamine is provided in the food. 



However, to make certain that these deductions were sound, 

 a series of investigations were undertaken to determine what, 

 if any, of the Bengal foodstuffs caused polyneuritis in animals, 

 and what, if any, cured the condition. 



Batches of pigeons have been fed on the different Bengal food 

 materials for over eight months. We have nothing new to 

 report. Shortly, the results so far in the investigations have 

 been : 



1. No Bengal foodstuff causes polyneuritis in pigeons. 



2. Polished rice invariably causes the condition. 



3. None of the dais in use in Bengal produce the disease. 



4. Indian or country rice has no deleterious effect. 



5. Polyneuritis produced by feeding on Rangoon rice is cured 

 (a) by feeding with Indian or country rice ; (6) by feeding 

 with alcoholic extract of rice polishings or of Indian rice ; (c) by 

 feeding with dais or the alcoholic extracts of dais. 



It is evident, therefore, that the absence of the beri-beri 

 vitamine in their dietary is not the explanation of the poor 

 physique of the Bengalis. 



Further, while there can be no doubt of the importance of these 

 substances in growth and nutrition, the fact of the necessity of 

 such bodies in the food is a strong argument in favour of a liberal 

 supply of food, in order that the system may be afforded the 

 opportunity of picking out those particular combinations which 

 are so essential to its nutrition, and is no argument for the re- 

 duction of either the protein content or total potential value of 

 dietaries below the generally accepted standards. 



These bodies are probably of a specific nature, fulfilling 

 certain specific functions that cannot be performed by the ordi- 

 nary cleavage products of protein digestion ; but to believe, as 

 some are inclined to do, that, because these substances have 

 been found to be absolutely essential, therefore the protein 

 element of the diet can be cut down to one-half or one-third 

 of Voit's standard is to go beyond the indications warranted by 

 the facts. 



It is far more rational to believe that these vitamines are 

 necessary in addition to the ordinary amino-acids, and that, in 

 all probability, they can neither take the place of, nor be replaced 

 by, the products of the tryptic digestion of proteins. 



