W. L. English—Birds and Vitamins



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can be called, attacked the species. When the birds moulted they did not get

their feathers again. I caught a number of them, and they appeared to be quite

healthy, except being destitute of feathers. I conclude that the practical

extermination of this species, as far as the Adelaide Hills were concerned, was

due to their falling an easy prey to predaceous animals. So complete was the

destruction that neither my friends nor myself observed the species in the Mount

Barker district for several years.”—E d.]



BIRDS AND VITAMINS


By W. L. English, M.B.


I trust that no one will be disappointed. The title might suggest

that something is known about birds and vitamins, but one searches

the literature and finds only a few references. In Miss Browning’s

monograph, The Vitamins, the word bird does not appear in the index.

There is something still to be learnt in this respect. The classical

experiments on polished rice and polyneuritis in Pigeons are mentioned.


Some time ago a lady remarked : 4 4 Doctor, I will never see you


again without being reminded of a monkey.” This was not a reference

to my habits or appearance, at least, I think not, but to the fact that

I keep forty to fifty of the more delicate monkeys under observation.

A knowledge of vitamins is necessary, else the monkeys surely die.

It is illegal to try any experiment in feeding, in which any living thing

is deprived of something necessary to its comfort. It is not illegal, as

we do here, to bring dying marmosets and monkeys back to life, using

the skill and knowledge which we possess. It is miraculous to see a

dying marmoset improve under violet-ray and vitamin treatment. The

cure is certain. The complaint is rickets.


Marmosets, especially the Pigmy variety, always remind me of

birds, hence this article to stimulate the interest of aviculturists in

the subject.


What are vitamins ? Vitamins represent the pounds, shillings, and

pence of existence. We cannot live on money, but in a complex

civilization we cannot live without, even in the midst of apparent plenty.

Similarly a complex organism such as a bird or animal cannot live

even in the midst of apparent plenty without these accessories to food.


Vitamins can only so far be recognized by their absence. We can

tell that something is absent in certain dietaries, since the animal



