x, B, 2 Williams and Saleeby: Treatment of Human Beriberi 113 
CASE 22 
An infant of 3 months was admitted on October 2 with its beri- 
beric mother (case 3). It had been sick since September 16, 
when it had had an apparent convulsion and was treated by a 
physician. The urine had been suppressed for two or three days 
following. When first seen, the child was restless, slept badly, 
and cried incessantly and seemed to have abdominal pains. It 
vomited frequently after nursing and was constipated. The 
voice was hoarse and aphonic, the face anemic and puffy around 
the eyes. The legs appeared thin, but were slightly cedematous, 
which condition extended more or less markedly all over the 
body. It was rather active and vigorous in its movements. The 
knee jerks were somewhat exaggerated. The area of heart 
dullness seemed slightly increased. It continued to nurse at the 
breast, the mother being treated with allantoin. 
The next day the infant was given by mouth the vitamine 
fraction from about 12 kilograms of rice polishings, although it 
was later discovered that the amount of vitamine present was 
very small. An equal dose required forty-eight hours to relieve 
fairly completely the prostration of a neuritic chicken. 
Nevertheless, on the following day the child was distinctly 
brighter, much better contented, stronger and more active. 
It had 5 bowel movements, but no rise of temperature. It 
slept quietly, the respirations seemed normal, and the voice was 
improved. Slight improvement continued for three days, after 
which treatment was begun with neutral extract. At the end 
of another week the voice was markedly stronger, the reflexes 
were normal, and the general condition of the child indicated 
a complete cure. During the last week the child gained 9 ounces. 
in weight. 
CASE 23 
An infant of 2 months was admitted on October 22, when the 
following observations were made. The child seemed weak and 
had little appetite, had some constipation, and vomited frequently. 
The mother was beriberic. The child’s knee refiexes were prac- 
tically absent. The extremities were thin, the skin lying in 
folds. The voice was aphonic, and the heart and lungs were 
negative. 
The mother was given hydrolyzed extract and improved in 
general condition. The child was not treated, but continued 
to nurse at the breast. Vomiting ceased after four days, but 
there was no marked improvement otherwise. 
On October 2 at 4 o’clock in the afternoon the child was given 
