258 CHAMBERLAIN AND VEDDER. 



and cold alcohol. This extract, so far as at present known, has the 

 following composition : 



Per cent. 

 Total solids 1.34 



Ash 0.03 



Phosplioius pentoxide 0.00165 



Nitrogen 0.0406 



Sucrose 0.88 



4. Multiple neuritis in fowls fed on polished rice probably is not due 

 to lack of phosphorus compounds in the grain, as claimed by Schaumann, 

 since out of each 1,000 parts of phosphorus contained in the rice polish- 

 ings at least 999 are not concerned in preventing neuritis. 



5. The neuritis-preventing substance contained in rice polishings 

 is capable of dialysis through a parchment membrane. This excludes all 

 colloids from consideration. 



We realize that the above conclusions are based on a small series 

 of experiments, but the results appear so conclusive and are so far- 

 reaching in their importance that it is deemed desirable to report them 

 at once. Further experiments are now under way to confirm the above 

 observations and also to determine the effect on fowls of the remaining 

 untried substances contained in this extract, including the sucrose 

 which it will be obsei^ved constitutes much the larger part of the 

 total solids. 



REFERENCES. 



(1) KiLBGTjENE, E. D. Food Salts in relation to Beriberi. This Jou7'iial, Sec. 



B (1910), 5, 127. 



(2) Schaumann, H. Die Aetiologie der Beriberi unter Berucksichtigung des 



gesamten Pliosphorstoflfweehsels. Arch. f. ScTiifs-U: Trop. (1910), 14, 

 Beihefte 8. 



(3) Frasee, H. and Stanton A. T. The Etiology of Beriberi. This Journal, 



Sec. B (1910), 5, 55. 



(4) HuLSHOFF-PoL, J. Polyneuritis gallinarum en beriberi Geneesk. Tijdschr. 



V. Nederl. Indie (1909), 49, 116. 



(5) Chamberlain W. P., Bloombergh H. D. and Kilbourne E. D. A Study 



of the Influence of Rice Diet and Inanition on the Production of Multiple 

 Neuritis of Fowls and the Bearing thereof on the Etiology of Bei-iberi. 

 This Journal, Sec. B (1911), 6, 177. 



(6) Wells, H. G. Chemical Pathology. Ed. (1907), 41. 



