FOOD SALTS IN RELATION TO BERIBERI. 



By E. D. Kilbourne. 2 



Beriberi has probably existed in the Philippine Islands since very 

 early times. Schneider 3 reported cases at Zamboanga in 185:2. Koen- 

 iger 4 is, I believe, in error, in stating that beriberi did not exist 

 among the natives prior to 1882, although it was probably less common 

 than it is now. During and since the year 1877 the imports of rice 

 have greatly exceeded the exports. From our present knowledge of 

 the etiologic relation of polished rice to beriberi, it is safe to say that 

 the disease was not absent during these and during previous years when 

 the imports were not inconsiderable. 



Table I. — Imports and exports of rice into Manila, in kilos. 



Year. Imported. 



Exported. 



Year. 



Imported. 



Exported. 



1851-1857. _ 



None. 



1,393,040 



746, 460 



1,758,240 



16,218 



Not known. 



1,046,100 



253,257 



4,788 



480, 804 



Notknown. 



7,311,002 



10.811,589 



2, 910, 847 



239, 539 



23, 005, 946 



23,670,099 



58, 818, 165 



13, 555, 647 



5, 558, 047 



8, 971, 305 



54,414,683 



Notknown. 



772, 920 



820, 440 



6,313,428 



2, 443, 500 



Notknown. 



20, 396, 300 



21,650,046 



6, 000, 054 



2, 036, 696 



Not known. 



13, 278 



101,371,178 



1,524,855 



3, 571, 931 



86, 800 



265, 285 



89,848 



366, 241 



203, 977 



840 



50, 361 



1884. .. 



108, 431, 626 



42,440,640 



61, 798, 722 



.79,987,973 



82, 445, 441 



85, 417, 158 



71, 166, 714 



72, 664, 363 



62, 709, 137 



41,000,503 



44, S70, 685 



Notknown. 



55, 817, 073 



110,141,537 



178, 605, 867 



216,812,362 



307, 835, 856 



330,518,006 



256,037,430 



138,341,469 



112, 985, 635 



162, 515, 826 



1,609 



749 

 18, 585 

 32, 337 



374 



905 

 13, 426 

 None. 



254 

 62, 492 

 1,513,658 

 Notknown. 

 None. 

 None. 

 None 

 None. 

 None. 

 None. 

 None. 

 None. 

 None. 

 None. 



1858 



1885 



1859_ 



1860 



1886 



1887 _ . 



1661- 



1888. 



1862-63 



1889 



1864 . 



1890 



1865 



1891. 



1866... 



1892 



1867 . ... 



1893 



1894 



1868-1872 



1873 



1895-1897 » 



1874 



1898-99 >■ 



1875 



1899-1900 



1876 - 



1900-1901 



1877 ... . 



1901-2 



1878 - 



1902-3. _ - ! 



1879 



1903-4 



1880 



1904-5 



1881— 



1905-6 



1882 



1906-7 



1883 



1907-8 _ 







Q No Spanish records could be found at the custom-house later than 1894. 

 b The American records begin with August 20, 190S, and show the amounts in the 

 fiscal years ending June 30. 



'Read at the first biennial meeting of the Far Eastern Association of Tropical 

 Medicine, in Manila, March 11, 1910. 



= Captain, Medical Corps, United States Army, Member of the United States' 

 Army Board for the Study of Tropical Diseases as They Exist in the Philippine 

 Islands. 



'Geneesh. Tijd. v. Ned. hid. (1890), 30, 438. 



4 DeutschesArch. f. Min. Med. (1SS4). 34, 419. 



127 



