SOME FRUITS OF HAWAII 



125 



4 to 6 weeks after the supplements were started. It was not possible to 

 induce them to eat larger supplements. 



Vitamin B. 



Results of preliminary tests using varying quantities of the Inter- 

 national Standard and the fruits are not included in the summary in 

 order to save space. For the final tests, the aim was to choose weights 

 of the supplementary fruits which would result in approximately the 

 same gain as when 0.005 gram of the International Standard was fed. 

 The average gain of 33 rats fed daily except Sunday supplements of 

 0.005 gram of International Standard was 43 grams. When the 9 posi- 

 tive control rats of the papaya group which gained much more than the 

 others are excluded the average gain is 36 grams. 



The growth response of the rats used for the vitamin B tests was 

 very uniform with few exceptions. The records of 1 negative control 

 for the fig group and 1 for the guava group were discarded because 

 after losing weight rapidly the rats suddenly began to gain, apparently 

 because of marked coprophagy which could not be controlled. 



No comments on specific groups are necessary except for tamarinds. 

 The records of 21 rats fed tamarinds in the preliminary experiments 

 are not included in the summary and curves because of conflicting re- 

 sults. Nine rats fed 1 gram of tamarind gained an average of 54 grams 

 in 6 weeks and 4 rats fed 0.5 gram gained an average 49 grams in 6 

 weeks. The tests were made during the months of August, September 

 and October 1934. Because the tamarind appeared to have such a high 

 vitamin B value, 0.5 gram of the same material previously used was 

 again fed to 8 rats during November and December 1934, and January 

 1935. The growth response was about one-third the previous one as 

 the 8 rats gained an average of 14 grams in 6 weeks. 



It was thought that perhaps there was a loss of vitamin B due to 

 storage but when 1 gram of fresh material (1935 crop) was fed along 

 with a like quantity of the tamarind pulp that had been stored at from 

 34° to 38° F. for 1 year, the growth curves were identical so that the 

 same line is necessary to represent both curves. Obviously then there is 

 no loss of vitamin B resulting from the storage at a cool temperature 

 and it is highly probable that the acidity of the pulp would prevent loss 

 of vitamin B even at room temperature. 



Using tamarind pulp as the sole source of vitamin B, a fourth set of 

 feeding experiments was carried out during the months of November 

 and December 1935. Nineteen rats, including positive and negative 

 controls, were used. The results may be summarized as follows : 5 rats 

 fed 0.5 gram tamarind gained an average of 41 grams, 5 rats fed 1.0 

 gram tamarind gained an average of 63 grams, 6 rats fed 0.005 gram 

 International Standard gained an average of 36 grams. 



The results confirm the first and third sets of experiments and prove 

 tamarinds to be an excellent source of vitamin B. 



Vitamin G 



Results of preliminary tests are not included in the final tables and 

 curves. 



