Dietary Deficiencies on the Suprarenal Glands. 13 



This experiment was rigidly controlled not only by observations on normal 

 pigeons kept under identical conditions, but also upon birds fed on polished 

 rice with the addition of a daily ration of " marmite," and showed conclusively 

 that there is a definite increase of adrenaline in the suprarenals of birds fed 

 on polished rice with consequent polyneuritis. The significance of this 

 increase will be discussed later. 



llie Addition of other Stdista nces to the Diet of Polished Bice. 



According to Kellner's analyses, quoted by Konig (1893), polished rice 

 contains 12-55 per cent, of water, 7"88 per cent, nitrogenous substances, 

 0"53 per cent, of fat, 77'8 per cent, of non-nitrogenous extractives and 

 0"78 per cent, of ash. A diet of polished rice is therefore deficient in protein, 

 fat and salts as well as in the accessory snbstances — fat soluble A and water 

 soluble B. The mixed pigeon seed on which my normal birds were fed 

 contained 2"33 per cent, of nitrogen (as against 1'24 per cent, for polished 

 rice), and 2"2 per cent, of ether soluble coustituents. 



A series of experiments were now made to show the eftect on the hyper- 

 trophy of the adrenals and their content of adrenaline, of adding some of the 

 deficient constituents to the diet of polished rice. 



The first group of experiments lasted from April 6 to May 7. In them the 

 effect of the addition of " marmite " (a commercial extract of yeast), and of a 

 fat deficient in all accessory factors was tried. Chick and Hume (1917) had 

 previously shown that the daily dose of commercial yeast extract required to 

 protect pigeons of 300-400 grm. weight from polyneuritis when fed on 

 polished rice was from 1"0 to 2 grm. Four series of birds were started on 

 April 6 — Series 4, 5, 6, and 7. The first were given 1 grm. of " marmite " 

 daily, the second 0'7o grm. of " marmite," the third 1 grm. of " marmite " and 

 1 c.c. of olive oil and the fourth 1 c.c. of olive oil but no " marmite," in 

 addition to their daily ration of polished rice. The average results of the 

 adrenal estimations in these series are given in Tables V and VI. 



A further series of experiments were made between April 29 and the end 

 of May. Three series of birds were fed with the addition, in Series 8 of 

 1 grm. of fat free casein, in Series 9 of 1 grm. of fat free casein and 1 grm. of 

 " marmite," and in Series 10 of 1 c.c. of cod liver oil daily. The results of 

 these experiments are given in Tables VI and VII. Finally, from the end 

 of May till the end of June, several series of birds were fed, of which we are 

 here concerned with Series 13 (Table V), in which a daily ration of 2 grm. 

 of " marmite " was added to the diet of polished rice. 



