In the field of nutrition the absence of the "B" type is particularly
marked by the behavior of the deprived animal. Rats transferred from a
vitamine-free diet to one containing the "B" only, make a much more rapid
recovery toward normal (even in the absence of the "A") than do animals
transferred from the vitamine-free diet to one containing the "A" and not
the "B". This initial jump from addition of the "B" will not continue long
in the absence of the "A", as a general rule. Hess believes that in some
of his infants he was able to show markedly successful growth on the diet
deficient in the "A" but rich in the "B". It is not certain however that
his diets were sufficiently devoid of the "A" factor to be declared "A"
vitamine-free and we know little of the amount of the "A" necessary to
normal infant growth. All results however show that both "A" and "B" are
necessary to growth production and though the term growth vitamine was
applied to the "A" originally the distinction is one that should be
rejected, for both "A" and "B" and possibly "C" are all entitled to this
name.
The manner in which the "B" vitamine acts is still obscure. Voegtlin some
time ago tried to demonstrate that it was identical with secretin and
stimulated pancreatic flow. Recent work at the Johns Hopkins University by
Cowgill and by Aurep and Drummond in England has failed to confirm this.
One of its most marked immediate effects is increase in appetite. Karr in
Mendel's laboratory has shown that dogs which refused their basal diet
would resume eating it if they were allowed to ingest separately a little
dried yeast. Karr studied the metabolism of these dogs as regards nitrogen
partition but the results give little data that is explicatory of the
behavior of the vitamine. In 1915 the author was able to bring about
marked immediate improvement and the ultimate recovery of a number of
infants who were of the marasmic type by merely increasing the "B"
vitamine content of their food. In these cases the vitamine was carried by
Lloyd's reagent and administered mixed with cereal, or the crude extract
was combined with the milk. The pancreas of the sheep was the source used.
In these cases the growth curve changed abruptly from a decline to a sharp
rise and this increase in weight continued and was accompanied by all the
other signs of improved nutrition including increase in appetite. The
change in the growth curve from decline to rise was accomplished without
increasing or changing the basal diet but as the appetite increased the
food had naturally to be increased to keep pace. In these cases the effect
of the vitamine was to enable the child to utilize its normal food and to
increase its appetite for it. This action certainly suggests stimulation
of digestive glands. It also showed that even though the diet may contain
the vitamine as was the case in the milk fed to these children the
addition of the vitamine in concentrated form often gives an upward push
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account