Vol. 6, 1920 
CHEMISTRY: R. A. BUTCHER 
13 
of Osborne and MendeP^ who concluded that the capacity to grow is not 
lost on inadequate diets. 
The remarkable growth of the animals refed by Osborne and Mendel 
may have been due to the fact that the diets were adequate in quantity 
and quality with respect to vitamines and other ingredients with the ex- 
ception of protein. The organs and ductless glands probably received 
sufficient nourishment and stimulation to prevent appreciable atrophy. 
In the case of the underfed rats of Jackson and Stewart the diet was 
quantitatively inadequate with the result that pathological changes 
(atrophy) went too far for the normal processes to be restored. 
We have been able to obtain decided atrophy of the testes in cockerels 
without a loss in body weight, which eliminates any possibility of ex- 
plaining the condition on a starvation or inanition basis. McCarrison^^ 
has obtained similar results with pigeons, finding atrophy of many of the 
ductless glands and vital organs. While inanition plays a part, this author 
believes the unusual pathological condition to be due to the absence of 
vitamines, which he calls "nucleopasts," due to the fact that he believes 
them to be essential for nuclear metabolism. 
F'rom the standpoint of the feeder and the live-stock producer, as well 
as from the sociological standpoint, this work suggests two important 
things which merit emphasis: first, the question of diet in relation to 
sexual vitality, sterility, etc., and second, the importance of green, fresh 
feed for all growing animals, especially poultry. Proprietary poultry 
feeds are often largely carbohydrate in composition, poor in protein and 
low in vitamine and mineral matter. Many diseases are undoubtedly 
brought about by poor diets, lowering the resistance of the animal to 
invading organisms. The r61e that the vitamine plays in this connection 
in unknown. 
We have cured limberneck in fowls by administering a vitamine ex- 
tract prepared from wheat germ. In each case recovery was preceded 
by copious bowel evacuations. The action in this case is probably not a 
typical vitamine action, but there is little doubt but that the vitamine 
plays its part in the rapid recovery of the birds. Neither do we wish to 
leave the impression that limberneck is a deficiency disease; in fact, we 
have been unable to produce it by any method of feeding or treatment. 
Uhlmann^^ states that water-soluble vitamine acts in a manner very similar 
to pilocarpine, stimulating gland secretion. It is very possible that the 
laxative action of many fruits, vegetables, whole grains and brans, is due, 
in a measure, to increased gland secretion brought about by vitamine 
stimulation. 
With Uhlmann's work in mind and also the work of Kendall, who 
isolated thyroxin, the hormone of the thyroid gland, we^^ have fed poly- 
neuritic pigeons the stimulants thyroxin, desiccated thyroid, pilocarpine 
hydrochloride and tethelin. The thyroxin and thyroid were fed because 
