Observations on Cod-liver Oil and Rickets. 167 



The evidence obtained from the Japanese waltzing mice shows 

 that within a closely inbred race, homiotrans plants of splenic tissue 

 may be quite as successful as autotrans plants. 



The experiments further show that in all probability suscepti- 

 bility to transplants of splenic tissue depends upon the same general 

 principles of heredity found to apply in the case of tumor tissue — 

 namely, multiple mendelizing factors. 



77 (1824) 



Observations on cod-liver oil and rickets. 



By T. F. ZUCKER, A. M. PAPPENHEIMER, and MARION BARNETT. 



[From the Department of Pathology, College of Physicians and 

 Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City.] 



In view of the nearly specific action that cod-liver oil has on 

 rickets, it is of interest to inquire into the nature of the substance 

 conferring on it the therapeutic properties. Several attempts 

 have been made to isolate from it materials that could be made 

 responsible for its action. Gautier and Morgues 1 isolated the 

 organic bases contained in the oil and separated from them two 

 alkaloid-like substances besides the simpler aliphatic amines. 

 Funk 2 also worked with this mixture of bases which he frac- 

 tionated in various ways. None of these observers, however, 

 have published any data on the action of the isolated material. 

 Stoltzner 3 claims, without giving any details of his evidence, 

 except the statement that he cured even the worst cases of rickets, 

 that hydroxy acids confer upon cod-liver oil its pharmacological 

 properties. Freudenberg and Klocmann 4 had expressed similar 

 ideas and prepared calcium salts of the unsaturated acids of 

 cod-liver oil which they used in the treatment of spasmophilia. 



Wacker and Beck 5 believe that "besides other chemically 

 not yet well characterized substances, cholesterol plays a significant 

 role in the antirachitic fat soluble factor A." 



1 Gautier and Morgues, C. R. Acad. Set., 1888, cvii, no and 626. 



2 Funk, Biochem. Bull., 1915, iv, 365. 



* Stoltzner, Munch, med. Wochenschr., 1921, lxviii, 272. 



* Freudenberg and Klocmann, Jahresb. f. Kinderh., 1913. lxxviii, 47; 1914, 

 xxix, 700. 



5 Wacker and Beck, Berl. klin. Wochenschr., 1921, Ixxxv, 453. 



