Influence of Radium on Activity of Vitamine. 9 



other (Harry H.) was sugar-free for two weeks on 15, 30 and 50 

 gm. carbohydrate but had no pancreatic digestion. When given 

 pancreatic digestion with lactopeptine 1 (New York Pharmacal 

 Ass'n) or Merck's pancreatin he excreted about 60 out of 100 gm. 

 carbohydrate fed. Proof that such digestive powders do survive 

 the stomach was established by recovery of them from the intestine 

 by means of the duodenal tube. The utilization of carbohydrate 

 under these circumstances was apparently increased by giving 

 0.3 per cent, sodium carbonate by duodenal tube. 



7 (118s) 



The influence of radium emanation on the activity of vitamine. 

 By Casimir Funk. 



[From the Memorial Hospital, New York.] 



The present investigation was undertaken with the view of 

 finding out a method of differentiation between the vitamine which 

 cures beriberi and the vitamine which stimulates growth of young 

 rats. It was also of interest to ascertain whether an unstable 

 substance of the vitamine class would undergo inactivation under 

 the action of emanation. This latter point is of practical impor- 

 tance in view of the extensive use of radium in the treatment of 

 cancer. In the light of modern knowledge of the subject the 

 therapeutic use of radium for the above purpose can be explained 

 by a stimulation of leucocytes or by a destructive action of a 

 physiologically active chemical substance, the second view not 

 being supported by actual experiments; so for instance the alleged 

 action of radium on lecithin with the liberation of choline was not 

 confirmed by modern investigators. 



The experiments were performed in the following way. Auto- 

 lyzed yeast was subjected to the action of radium emanation (the 

 activity of which and the time of action has been determined by 

 Dr. Bosworth from Memorial Hospital, the details of the work to be 

 presented later) samples of the radiated and the non-radiated 

 control autolyzed yeast being injected intramuscularly into pigeons 



3 10 gm. Lactopeptine produced the same digestion, as measured by the output 

 of sugar, as 5 gm. Merck's pancreatin. 



