period it was 28.0, 30.1, and 16.1 pounds per day respectively during the first thirty days. Every chemical means was now employed to determine the causes of these differences and without success. McCollum then decided to attempt to solve the problem by selecting small animals (the rat was used) and experiment with mixtures consisting of purified proteins from different sources, combined with fats, carbohydrates and mineral salts until a clue was obtained to the nature of the deficiencies. His early results in this direction confirmed the results of other investigators, animals lived no longer on these diets than when allowed to fast. What was missing? Up to 1911 the main result of these experiments had been to call attention to the peculiar deficiencies of cereals and especially in mineral salts, but without unlocking the mystery. These collateral investigations show how in all parts of this country and on the other side of the ocean events were marching toward the same goal. The year 1911 then is a significant epoch, for from this time the various independent efforts began to link up and the next few years carried us far toward the goal. In 1912 McCollum was working with a mixture consisting of 18 per cent. purified protein in the form of milk curd or casein, 20 per cent. lactose or milk sugar, 5 per cent. of a fat and a salt mixture made up to imitate the salt content of milk. The remainder of that mixture was starch. With this mixture McCollum found that growth could be produced if the fat were butter fat but not if it were olive oil, lard, or vegetable oils of various sorts. Carrying out the lead here suggested he tried egg yolk fats. They proved as effective as butter fat. [Illustration: FIG. 1. COMPOSITE CHART OF MCCOLLUM AND DAVIS PUBLICATIONS I (from _Journ. Biol. Chem._, 1913, xv, 167). This chart shows the effect in period III of the addition of an ether extract of egg, 1 gram being given every other day. The diets for periods I-IV were as follows: Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I II III IV Salt mixture . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6 6 6 Casein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 18 18 18 Lactose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 0 0 0 Dextrin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 59 74 74 Starch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 0 0 0 Agar-agar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2 2 2 Egg (see above) . . . . . . . . . . . 0 0 * 0 *1 gram extract every other day II and III (from _Journ. Biol. Chem._, 1915, xxiii, 231). These charts show the effect (II) of the addition of as little as 2 per cent wheat embryo as sufficient to secure normal growth when it serves as a supply of the B vitamine. Chart III shows that even when the wheat embryo is increased to 30 per cent it is inadequate for growth unless the A is also present. The diets were as follows: