On the Protective and Curative Properties of Certain Foodstuffs against Polyneuritis induced in Birds by a Diet of Polished Rice
Authors: Cooper E. A. 
Published: May 2009

I. On the distribution of the anti-neuritic substance amongst foodstuffs

1. The amounts of various raw foodstuffs that must be added to the polished rice diet to prevent symptoms of polyneuritis in pigeons for a definite period have been determined. The results indicate that the anti-neuritic body is most irregularly distributed amongst foodstuffs.

2. Pigeons fed naturally on daily rations of polished rice of 1/20th the body-weight for the first two weeks and on much smaller rations subsequently develop symptoms of polyneuritis three to four weeks after being placed on this diet and lose from 10 to 40% in weight.

3. Pigeons fed on daily rations of polished rice of from 1/11th to 1/30th the body-weight develop symptoms of polyneuritis in a much shorter time (in about 14 days). The explanation of this may be that birds fed naturally on small insufficient rations have to rely on their own tissues for supplementing the food supply and are thus able to obtain for use a larger proportion of the anti-neuritic substance distributed in the tissues than the well-fed birds. Consequently the former remain free from polyneuritis for a longer period than the latter.

4. As much as 20 gms. of raw beef are necessary daily to prevent polyneuritis in pigeons weighing about 350 gms. The small anti-neuritic value of this foodstuff indicates that the addition of flesh to a diet is not likely to be very effective in preventing beri-beri.

5. The heart-muscle of the ox greatly exceeds the voluntary muscle of the same animal in its capacity for preventing polyneuritis. This is interesting as in human beri-beri heart failure is a common symptom.

6. Sheep-brain is only about twice as efficient as beef in preventing polyneuritis. The low concentration of the anti-neuritic substance in brain suggests that the substance although essential for the integrity of the nervous tissues is not contained in them as such.

7. Although the addition of small amounts of brain to a diet of polished rice does not prevent polyneuritis, it is effective in almost entirely checking the loss in weight that ensues on this diet. Since birds fed exclusively on polished rice can only be maintained in body-weight by giving very large rations, it is concluded that there is a secondary deficiency in polished rice of substances essential for the maintenance of body-weight and that these are comparatively abundant in brain.

8. Polyneuritis is accompanied by fatty degeneration in the nervous system whether body-weight is maintained or not. This indicates that the degeneration is an effect of the deficiency in polished rice of the anti-neuritic substance and not of the secondary deficiency of substances necessary for the maintenance of body-weight.

9. The daily addition of 10 gms. of fish (hake) to the rice diet did not prevent polyneuritis and loss in weight.

10. Egg-yolk exceeds all the other foodstuffs examined of animal origin in anti-neuritic value, three grams daily added to the rice diet being sufficient to prevent polyneuritis. Its capacity for preventing this disease is not measurably altered by boiling for four minutes.

11. Dried lentils and unhusked barley are efficient anti-neuritic foodstuffs. Three and five grams respectively of these substances added daily to the rice diet are sufficient to prevent polyneuritis.

12. The loss in weight induced by daily rations of polished rice equivalent to about 1/20th the body-weight can be prevented without altering the actual quantity of food given by substituting barley for polished rice to the extent of about 30%. This loss in weight is therefore shewn to be due to a genuine deficiency in polished rice and is not the effect of underfeeding.

13. One-half a gram of dried yeast daily is quite sufficient to prevent polyneuritis and also to maintain the body-weights of birds fed on polished rice.

Yeast is more efficient in preventing this disease than any of the above foodstuffs.

14. Egg-yolk, heart-muscle, yeast, lentils and barley will be effective in the prevention of beri-beri. On account of their cheapness lentils and barley will probably be the most practicable for this purpose.

15. The relative efficiencies of the various foodstuffs in preventing polyneuritis and in maintaining the body-weights of birds fed on polished rice do not correspond. This indicates that the anti-neuritic constituent and the substances maintaining body-weight are not identical. Evidence is brought forward in the text which seems to indicate that the latter substances are not protein, fatty or lipoidal in nature.

II. On the curative properties of extracts of various foodstuffs.

1. Meat. The anti-neuritic constituent is not extracted by water and only to a small extent by ether. It is readily extracted by alcohol and after this procedure, although still insoluble in ether, is easily dissolved by water.

2. Egg-yolk. The curative constituent is present in a form readily extracted by both alcohol and ether. It is not however entirely removed by the latter solvent, since an alcoholic extract of egg-yolk which has been thoroughly exhausted with ether still possesses marked curative properties. These results indicate that a large portion of the anti-neuritic substances contained in meat and egg-yolk is not combined with the fats or free (ether-soluble) lipoids, but is possibly present in the combined lipoids, which are only extracted by alcohol.

3. Lentils. The constituent of lentils that cures polyneuritis is soluble in strong alcohol and in water, is not precipitated by basic lead acetate and is almost entirely precipitated by ammonium molybdate. There is evidence that the active substance disappears in large quantities during the latter fractionation. It is possibly destroyed by contact with alkali.

Strychnine. Strychnine does not cure polyneuritis but prolongs the lives of pigeons affected with this disease.