186 CHAMBERLAIN, BLOOMBERGH, KILBOURNE. 



Tliese amounts of potassium ehloride do not run exactly parallel to the 

 phosphorus content of the three «groups, there being a greater relative difference 

 in the amounts of the former. The increase of the best over the worst was 56.76 

 per cent in the potassium chloride, but only 38.22 per cent in phosphorus 

 pentoxide. 



In a set of experiments with fowls we added salts of potassinm and 

 phosphoric acid to the diets of polished rice, as follows : 



Class 4. Polished rice + 0.05 gram KCl daily. 



Class 5. Polished rice -|- 0.03 gram H3PO4 daily. 



Class 6. Polished rice -f- 0.06 gram HgPO^ daily. 



Class 7. Polished rice -{-0.05 gram KCl and 0.03 grams H3PO4 daily. 



Class 8. Polished rice -|- 0.03 gram H3PO4 substituted later by 0.05 

 grams KCl daily. 



In determining the amounts of the salts to be fed, the quantities found to 

 be consumed by the Scouts from the organizations having no beriberi were 

 reduced to correspond to the average weight of the fowls and a small amount 

 added to provide a safe margin. Of course, we have nothing to show the require- 

 ments of fowls and they may differ considerably from the human. 



The different salts were administered in solutions of such strength that one 

 cubic centimeter of each contained the required dose. 



In these experiments with polished rice combined with various salts, we made 

 no attempt to use organic phosphorus in the form of phytic acid or phytin 

 (calcium-magnesium salt of phytic acid) because, first, it wa'S not convenient to 

 obtain these substances and, second, the experiments recently conducted by 

 Aron(8) and Kajiura and Rosenheim (20) indicated to our minds that no beneficial 

 results were likely to be obtained from their use. This opinion has just been 

 confirmed by the experiments of Fraser and Stanton, (22) who found that phytin 

 would not prevent neuritis. 



Class 4- Fed on polished rice + 0.05 gram potassium chloride daily. — Four 

 fowls were used and all developed multiple neuritis in 22 to 38 days (average 

 30.5 days) and died on the 29th to 44th day (average 37.5 days). 



The weight curves of these fowls (numbers 21, 22, 23, and 24) are shown 

 on Chart 3. The average loss of body weight to the time of the appearance of 

 neuritis was 28.0 per cent and to death 43.8 per cent. 



It will be obvious, on glancing at the steep descent of these curves 

 and on considering the time inteiTening between the commencement 

 of the experiment and the occurrence of neuritis and death, that the 

 administration of potassium chloride was of no avail, the "incubation 

 period" and length of life being practically the same as for fowls fed on 

 polished rice alone. 



Glass 5. Fed on polished rice + 0.03 gram phosphoric acid daily. — Three fowls 

 were put on this diet, and all died after developing typical neuritis. The leg 

 signs appeared after 22 to 27 days (average 23 days) and death occurred on the 

 27th to 34th (average 30.3 days). 



Their weight curves are shown on Chart 3 as numbers 25, 26, and 28. An 

 average loss of 28.2 per cent occurred to the appearance of signs of neuritis and 

 40.3 per cent of death. 



