182 CHAMBERLAIN, BLOOMBERGH, KILBOURNE. 



latter variety being that sup^^lied the Philippine Scouts (native troops) 

 from the date of their organization in 1901 until about September 

 1, 1910. 



The Saigon rice was very thoroughly milled and polished, scarcely a trace of 

 pericarp remaining on the grains, and in selecting the native polished rice 

 (Filipino number 1) care was taken to obtain a quality similarly free from 

 pericarp. Samples were rejected that showed yellow flakes of pericarp on the 

 dark blue starchy interior, after staining the grains in Gram's iodine solution. 

 The particles of pericarp remaining on the grains of incompletely milled red rice 

 were plainly seen without staining, making easy the detection of rmsuitable 

 varieties. 



These tvs^o kinds of rice, Saigon and Filipino polished, v^^ere fed 

 alone in some of the experiments and in others were mixed together 

 and fed in varioiTS combinations with salts of potassium and of phos- 

 phorus. Phosphorus and potassium were used because by some pre- 

 vious vi^ork(lO) we had shovm that these elements were deficient in the 

 diets of the companies of Filipino Scouts having beriberi, and that the 

 deficiency was directly proportionate to the incidence of the disease in 

 those companies. 



Class 1. Fed on Filipino number 1 rice. — ^Five fowls were put on a diet con- 

 sisting of polished native Maean rice ( Filipino number 1 ) . By analysis it 

 contained 0.093 per cent of potassium oxide and 0.255 per cent of phosphorus 

 pentoxide. One of these fowls died on the 22d day of avian diphtheria, without 

 signs of neuritis (number 1) and the other four (numbers 2, 3, 4, and 20) 

 developed multiple neuritis after 25 to 33 days (average 29 days) and died 

 on the 30tli to 41st day (average 36th day). 



None of the fowls seemed to care for this rice after the 3d or 4th day and seldom 

 ate their daily allowance of 118 grams. They declined rapidly in weight, losing 

 an average of 26.3 per cent up to the time of the appearance of the signs of 

 neuritis in the legs and an average of 37.6 per cent to death. Their weight 

 curves are shown on Chart 1. 



The signs of multiple neuritis were well marked in these four fowls and, in 

 corroboration, on post-mortem microscopic examination their sciatic nerves showed 

 extensive degeneration. Microscopic examination of the nerve of a fowl (number 

 1) dying of acute respiratory trouble, now thought by us to be avian diphtheria 

 because of our subsequent findings in similar cases, showed no degeneration. 



Glass 2. Fed on Saigon polished rice of the Subsistence Department. — This rice 

 showed on analysis 0.098 per cent of potassiima oxide and 0.260 per cent of 

 phosphorus pentoxide. Four fowls were fed on it. Three (numbers 5, 6, and 8) 

 developed multiple neuritis after 25 to 39 days (average 31 days) and two died 

 on the 31st and 36th day respectively (average 33 days). One (number 7) was 

 found dead in his cage after a severe wind and rain storm. He seemed perfectly 

 well the day before and at no time had shown any signs of neuritis. 



This class contains two very interesting birds, nmnbers 5 and 7, 

 and as they are worthy of more than passing notice their histories are 

 given in detail. 



Number 5 '" was purchased May 10, 1910, kept under observation for five daj^s 



° Shown September 5, 1910, to the Manila Medical Society. 



