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A Contribution to the Etiology of Beri-Beri

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

S. Kajiura  and
O. Rosenheim
S. Kajiura
Affiliation:
(From the Physiological Laboratory, King's College, Londen.)
O. Rosenheim
Affiliation:
(From the Physiological Laboratory, King's College, Londen.)
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No hypothesis hitherto advanced with regard to the origin of Beri–Beri, has up till now found sufficient experimental confirmation to warrant its general acceptance. This applies especially to the conception of the disease as due to the presence of bacteriaor parasites in the blood, further to the infection theory as well as to the miasmatic theory1.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , April 1910 , pp. 49 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1910

References

page 49 note 1 No attempt has been made to deal in this short communication with the extensive literature of the subject. Very full references to it will be found in W. L. Braddon's monograph, The Cause and Prevention of Beri-Beri, London, 1907. See also: H. Dürck, Unters. über die path. Anat. d. Beri-Beri, Jena, 1908.

page 50 note 1 It must be mentioned in this connection that, besides containing a relatively small percentage of nitrogen, “white rice” is also very poor in calcium and phosphorus. The lack of these two latter important constituents of a physiological diet, has also been adduced in explanation of the origin of Beri-Beri (see later).

page 50 note 2 See also Takaki's, Baron lectures, The Lancet, Vol. CLXX. 1906, p. 1369.Google Scholar Before the new diet was introduced the number of Beri-Beri cases was 325 per 1000 with 41 deaths annually. With the change of diet the number fell to 127, 6 and 0·4 and finally nil.

page 51 note 1 König, T., Chem. Zusamm. d. menschl. Nahr. u. Genussm. Vol. I. 1903.Google Scholar

page 51 note 2 The Proteins of Rice, Proc. Physiol. Soc. xxxvi. 1908, p. liv. A full communication of this research will appear shortly.Google Scholar

page 51 note 3 The name “gliadin“ as a general name for the alcohol-soluble proteins was proposed by O. Rosenheim (Science Progress, April, 1908, No. 8) and seems preferable to the term “prolamine“ proposed by T. B. Osborne (Science, N. S. XXVIII. 1908, p. 417) as the resemblance of this name to “protamine“ might easily give rise to mistakes.Google Scholar

page 51 note 4 Virch. Arch. Vol. CXLVIII. 1897, p. 523, Arch. f. Hygiene, Vol. LVIII. 1906, p. 150. We were unable to obtain Eykman's first publication, Geneesk. Tydschr. v. Ned. Indie, 1890, in the original.Google Scholar

page 51 note 5 Geneesk. Tydschr. v. Ned. Indie, 1901, quoted from Eykman. See also: Arch. f. Hygiene, Vol. LXII. 1907, p. 128.

page 51 note 6 It is also prevented if “unpeeled” or “cured” rice is given, but for reasons stated above these foctors need not be condsidered here.

page 52 note 1 See, however, Eykman (loc. cit.).

page 52 note 2 Maurer, G.Münch. med. Wochenschr. Vol. LIV. I. 1907, p. 731. Also Geneesk. Tydschr. v. Ned. India., 1901, quoted from A. Treutlein, Verhandl. d. phys. med. Ges. Würzburg, Vol. xxxviii. 1906, p. 323; see also C. Eykman, Münch. med. Wochenschr. Vol. LIV. I. 1907, p. 127.Google Scholar

page 52 note 3 H. Schaumann (Verhandl. d. d. tropenmed. Ges. 1908) ascribes the symptoms of Beri-Beri to the lack of nucleo-phosphoric acid in food. Since this paper has gone to the press an important preliminary communication on this subject has been made by H. Fraser and A. T. Stanton (Studies from the Inst. f. Med. Research, Fed. Malay States, Kuala Lumpur). These authors find that the addition to a “white rice“ diet of the alcoholsoluble substances (lipoids) extracted from parboiled (cured) rice prevented the development of polyneuritis in fowls and that the estimation of the total phosphorus present in a given rice may be used as an indicator of the Beri-Beri producting power of rice.

page 53 note 1 They showed, however, great avidity for barley which they tried to snatch from the other coops, when allowed near them.

page 53 note 2 Osborne, T. B., Journ. Amer. Chem. Soc. Vol. XVII. 1895, p. 539; see also V. Griessmayer, Die Proteide der Getreidearten, Heidelberg, 1897.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

page 54 note 1 Prof. Hewlett kindly examined one of these birds in the Beacteriol. Laboratory, King's College, London. A micro-organism was isolated, which belonged to the group of chicken cholera organisms. We are greatly indebted to prof. Hewlett for his help in this matter.