Vol. XXVII, No. 4 
222 Journal of Agricultural Research 
As it was evident from the growth curves of this lot that the rice- 
salt diet was inadequate to promote normal growth, vitamin A was 
added, for the reason that cereals as a class are deficient in this factor. 
A ration consisting of wild rice 91 parts, salt mixture 4 parts, and butter 
fat 5 parts was fed to the rats in Lot 3 (fig. 1). The addition of the 
butter fat made a great improvement in the rice-salt ration, as almost 
normal growth was obtained for a period of two months and pregnancy 
was secured twice in the case of one individual. However, the rats of 
the first litter were all bom dead, and in the second pregnancy the rat 
died before the young were bom, autopsy showing nine fetuses at term. 
Fig. i.—R ate of growth of rats on rations consisting of wild rice alone and wild rice with various additions. 
+ indicates death of rat 454, Dot 4; y—young. 
This result, together with the fact that none of the growth curves in 
this group approached the normal after the second month, showed that 
the ration was still deficient. Nevertheless, comparison of these growth 
curves with those of McCollum and Davis, 5 rats on a similar ration con¬ 
taining polished rice shows that the wild rice with the addition of proper 
quantities of salts and butter fat is a much better ration than polished 
rice with the same additions. The growth curves of Lot 3 indicate that 
the proteins and the quantity of vitamin B are fairly adequate, because 
if either one or the other or both were deficient, such good growth could 
not have been attained. 
& McCollum, K. V., and Davis, M., op. cit., p. 199. 
