Fleming: Metabolic Mechanism in Beriberi 



m 



beriberi patients was held. However, no evidence was found 

 of any disturbance of metabolism as characteristic of beriberi, 

 either in the level on which the metabolism was maintained or 

 in the relative value of the sources of this metabolism. This 

 absence of any shift in the usual proportion in which the 

 respective sources of energy are utilized is interesting in the 

 face of the high carbohydrate intake. 



Table 1 gives the metabolism data for the beriberi patients 

 and for a series of normal controls, the latter being convalescents 

 in the surgical wards showing no symptoms of beriberi or of 

 other conditions known to affect metabolism. 



Table 1. — Results of metabolism determinations. 





55SS 



•xssr 



Basal metabolic rate 



6 1 



ir 





: 



82:! 

























Comparison of the results for these two groups brings out the 

 following facts: 



1. There is no significant difference in the basal metabolic 

 rates of the two groups. 



2. There is no significant difference in the respiratory quo- 

 tients. Both quotients are indicative of a normal utilization 

 of the food eaten. 



3. In the percentages of the heat derived from the combus- 

 tion of protein, fat, and carbohydrate, respectively, some differ- 

 ences are seen between the two groups. However, it is thought 

 that these are variations between small groups rather than 

 representatives of the particular group. Findlay(6) reported a 

 reduction of glyoxalase in the liver of pigeons suffering from 

 beriberi. While the percentage of heat derived from carbo- 

 hydrate is less in the beriberi patients than in the normals it 

 is still well within the limits of a normal metabolism and certain- 

 ly cannot be taken as showing a definite breakdown in carbo- 

 hydrate metabolism. Neither can any definite evidence be 



