748 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION M. 
that the relative proportion of the non-nitrogenous constituents is by no means a 
matter of indifference. More recent is the recognition of the fact that con- 
stituents present in. minute amount, such, for instance, as may be lost when the 
cortex is removed from grain, are of vital importance to the animal. Something 
too was present in normal foodstuffs which in minute amount was absolutely 
necessary for growth. He believed that such constituents were many, and one 
region of dietetics would come to be almost a branch of pharmacology. The 
actual practical importance of these facts could only be ascertained by the 
combined labours of laboratory workers and of practical stock-raisers. 
Dr. Lreonarp Hit gave an account of his investigations, conducted with the 
co-operation of Dr, Martin Flack, on the bearing of certain localised constituents 
from grain on the nutritive value cf the food produced. He described experi- 
ments in which rats and pigeons had been fed on white bread, standard bread, 
or wholemeal bread, and stated that the results showed that the removal of 
small quantities of material situated in the husk deprived the resulting white 
bread of the power to sustain life. 
Dr. Carucarr referred especially to three points :— 
(1) Protein minimum.—Both quantity and quality of protein used are of 
importance. The amount necessary depended on requirements, i.e. whether for 
maintenance, growth, fattening, work, etc. In the heterogeneous nature of the 
food used lay salvation. 
(2) Appetite.—Why not pay attention to the appetite of animals? An animal 
has its likes and dislikes as regards food well marked. 4 
(3) Idiosyncrasy.—This is one of the most difficult of problems. What value 
is to be laid on results of experiments on animals which show a marked 
divergence from the so-called normal? 
Mr. Casimir Funx discussed the importance of certain substances in the food 
with special reference to the etiology of beri-beri and scurvy. 
It has recently been shown that the substance preventing beri-beri may be 
isolated from rice-polishings. This substance, for which the name vitamine has 
been proposed, possesses probably the formula C,,H,,N,O, and crystallises in 
colourless needles which melt at 233°. The quantity of this substance originally 
obtained was small, and only a few curing experiments were performed, and a 
confirmation of these facts was therefore necessary. With a method analogous to 
this, previously described, it was found possible to isolate the curative substance 
from other material, such as yeast, milk, and ox-brain. In all these cases the sub- 
stance, which cures in minute quantities, seems to be entirely identical with the 
substance from rice-polishings. ‘The occurrence of this substance, together with 
other pyrimidine bases such as uracil and thymine, its analogous properties and 
reactions lead to the conclusion that vitamine itself is a pyrimidine base, deriva- 
tive of nucleic acid and the two-nitrogen are probably bound to form a ureid, 
analogous in structure to other pyrimidine bases : 
at NH 
| 
id C-CH, (Thymine) CO  C,,H,,0, (Vitamine) 
I 
NH—CH NH 
Only this constitution would explain the neutral reaction of the body and its 
characteristic properties. 
Besides yeast, milk, and ox-brain the anti-neuritic substance was detected in 
lime-juice, and is at present undergoing further investigation. This substance 
is not identical with the anti-scorbutic substance present in lime-juice, which 
seems to be less stable and especially sensitive to the action of alkali. Therefore, 
for further investigation it is necessary to obtain a method of fractionation in 
acid solution, 
A further investigation of rice-polishings led to the isolation of allantoin; 
this substance when given to pigeons suffering from polyneuritis was found to 
prolong life of the birds for several days, without, however, improving the 
neuritic symptoms. 
The nitrogenous substances hitherto detected in rice-polishings are thus 
vitamine, allantoin, and choline. 
