PATHOLOGY: CHITTENDEN AND UNDERHILL 
195 
A detailed discussion of these investigations will appear in the Anthro- 
pological series of the American Museum of Natural History, New York 
City. V, 
THE PRODUCTION IN DOGS OF A PATHOLOGICAL CONDITION 
WHICH CLOSELY RESEMBLES HUMAN PELLAGRA 
By Russell H. Chittenden and Frank P. Underhill 
SHEFFIELD LABORATORY OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. YALE UNIVERSITY 
Communicated, February 2, 1917 
The nutritional diseases designated as beri beri, scurvy and pellagra 
are currently believed to be induced by a deficiency in the diet of some 
undefined but essential constituent or constituents. From the experi- 
mental standpoint the pigeon is peculiarly sensitive when the diet fails 
to provide a sufficiency of these unknown but essential food substances, 
and polyneuritis develops. The symptoms of polyneuritis in birds 
closely resemble those of beri beri in man. The guinea pig has proved 
to be especially susceptible to scurvy. On the other hand, pellagra in 
the ordinary laboratory animals is rarely mentioned. 
We have accomplished the experimental production in dogs of a 
diseased condition which closely resembles human pellagra. The 
characteristic phenomena are readily evoked by feeding these animals 
a diet consisting of boiled (dried) peas, cracker meal and cotton seed oil, 
or lard. The ingestion of suitable quantities of meat causes the symp- 
toms of disturbed nutrition to disappear. On the other hand, if the 
amount of meat contained in a selected mixed diet is insufficient, the 
same evidences of abnormality may be exhibited. The S3anptoms 
appear in varying periods of time which may be altered by changes in 
the character of the diet. 
The onset of the symptoms is generally very sudden. Usually the 
first abnormal manifestation in dogs is a refusal to eat, and cursory 
examination reveals nothing to account for the loss of appetite. The 
animal lies quietly in its pen and is apathetic. After continued refusal 
to eat for a day or two, the mouth of the dog presents a peculiar and 
characteristic appearance, in that the inner surface of the cheeks and 
lips, and the edges of the tongue, are so covered with pustules as to 
give the impression of a mass of rotten flesh. .The odor from the tissues 
is foul. The mucous lining of the mouth comes away in shreds when 
stroked with absorbent cotton. Intense salivation exists. The teeth 
remain normal. A bloody diarrhoea is present, attempts at defecation 
being very frequent, and resulting in the passage of little more than a 
