RICE DIET. 187 



Nothing worthy of special mention was noted among these fowls 

 except that they developed multiple neuritis and died in a shorter period 

 than those on polished rice alone. 



Class 6. Fed on polished rice + 0.06 gram -phosphoric acid daily. — After observ- 

 ing the shortness of the "incubation period" and the rapidity with which deatli 

 supervened in the fowls of the preceding class, fed on polished rice combined 

 with 0.03 gram phosphoric acid and to throw some light, if possible, on the reason 

 for this, a set of three fowls was fed the same kind of rice with a daily addition 

 of double the amoimt of phosphoric acid or 0.06 gram. 



Of these three fowls two developed typical leg signs, one (number 60) on 

 the 27th day and one (number 59) on the 31st day (average 29th day). 



Instead of allowing them to go on to death we fed them palay and kitchen 

 stuff on the 30tli and 34th days respectively and, as in the ease of fowl number 

 5, greatly improved their general condition without in any way lessening the 

 signs of multiple neuritis. Both of them also developed spasticity like that 

 observed in number 5 and described in connection with that fowl. 



These two fowls were eventually chloroformed. The sciatic nerves showed 

 marked degenerative changes. No evidences of degeneration were found in the 

 tracts of the spinal cords. 



Their weight curves, Chart 4, resemble those of fowls fed on polished rice 

 alone. An average loss of 25.2 per cent occurred to the appearance of signs of 

 neuritis and of 30.2 per cent to the end of the experiment, that is to the begin- 

 ning of mixed feeding. 



The fowls of this class kept well nearly a week longer than those on 

 the same rice with one-half the amount of phosphoric acid, but probably 

 this was a mere coincidence^ for they fared no better than those of classes 

 1 and 2 fed only polished rice. The third fowls of this class (number 

 61) died of ayian diphtheria, the lesions being in the nose. Nothing 

 abnormal was found in the sciatic nerves. 



Glass 7. Fed on polished rice -\- 0.03 gram phosphoric acid and 0.0-5 gram potas- 

 sium chloride daily. — In this class the same rice was used as in classes 5 and 6 

 and the solutions of the two salts were given at different times during the day. 



Of the five fowls, three (numbers 29, 31, and 32) developed multiple neuritis 

 in from 21 to 28 days (average 25.3 days) and died on the 25th to 34th day 

 (average 30th day). 



The reduction in weight to the appearance of signs of neuritis averaged 32.4 

 per cent and to death 40.9 per cent. 



Two of the birds (numbers 30 and 37) contracted infectious conjunctivitis 

 and died, without signs of neuritis, one on the 4th day and the other on the 

 24th day of the experiment. 



Class 8. Fed on polished rice + 0.03 gram phosphoric acid for 34 days and 0.05 

 gram potassium chloride for 91 days. — One fowl (number 27) was fed in a 

 manner like those of class 5 for 34 days and then, through accident, the acid 

 was replaced by 0.06 gram potassium chloride; It was kept on polished rice 

 and these salts for 125 days, and then weighed but little less than at the com- 

 mencement of the experiment, and was apparently as vigorous and well as when 

 first placed in his cage. 



We do not ascribe his continued good health to the salts but to the fact that 

 he liked polished rice and greedily devoured all that was given him. Only a 



