Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-29
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

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The fighting efficiency of people may
be considerably increased by less than
a en-thousandth Of an ounce per per-
son per day of thiamin chloride-popu-
larly known as vitamin B1.
The striking results of recent expert
ments on loss of endurance and morale
when adults are deprived of an ire
ducible minimum of this chemical now
produced synthetically. have caused the
American Medical Society to issue a
statement on its probable significance
in national defense.
One Of these tests was at the Roches-
ter (MinnD State Hospital by physicians
of the Mayo Clinic. The results were
reported by Drs. R. D. williams, H. L.
Mason and B. F. Smith at a recent staff
meeting. -Four girls engaged in hospital
work were subjects. They were placed
on diets containing less than a thou
sandth of gram Of the vitamin per day,
but otherwise they could eat all they
pleased and received. so far as possible,
all the other essential vitamins.
The diet was not greatly different from
that ordinarily eaten by working girls
with fairly good jobs. 1t was made up
of such articles as polished rice, tapioca,
white bread, corn starch, egg white, but
ter, certain fruits, black tea, cocoa and
all the fats and candy they wanted.
This was continued for 81 weeks, and
during the last II weeks the results
became obvious. There was a decided
loss Of appetite. The girls lost weight
They became easily tired. The electrical
records Of their hearts showed marked
changes. They lost their tolerance for
sugar and the candy they had welcomed
before now nauseated them.
In a previous experiment, five young
doctors were the voluntary subjects.
They showed all the SYMPTOMS of the
girls and also moodiness, sluggishness,
indifference, fear and physical and
mental fatigue. The states of mind and
body observed in these subjects" says
the Journal of the American Medical
Association, were such as would be
invasion when maintenance Of stamina,
determination and hope may mean de-
feat or successful resistance"
Actually, few persons in ordinary cir
cumstances would get so little thiamin
chloride as did the girls and the in
ternes, but, reports the Journal, other
subjects received the vitamin lin such
an amount that their intake would be
almost, If not quite, up to the standard
set by the League of Nations Technical
Commission. These subjects remained
in apparent good health for weeks, but
when in the end more thiamin was ad-
ministered-enough to raise the intake
to 600 international units a day-alert-
ness increased and measured capacity
for physical work was almost doubled"
The League of Nations recommended
ton is about a three thousandth of a
gram day for an adult. This is almost
certainly not enough, the American
Medical Association experts hold, for
soldiers, men working on farms and in
factories, and especially persons not
getting enough sleep. Great Britain,
with its entire population subjected to
great physical and nervous strain, has
already recognized the need and has
ordered the vitamin included in white
flour, although it reduces the keeping
quality of this essential foodstuff.
The need for sufficient quantities of
this substance in the ration is recognized
t,1yt nj htrt
veys by the department of home eco
Monies of the Department of Agricul-
ture show that the average American
diet is likely to be quite deficient. This
is not because of poverty. The vitamin
is contained in some of the cheapest
foods with which it is possible to fill the
stomach. The bureau workers under
the direction of DR.. Hazel K Stiebeling
have just completed an exhaustive anal
ysis of the thiamin content of the ma
jority of foodstuffs found on the Amer
lean table The distribution is such that
the millionaire is about as likely to
suffer as the pauper. Even when foods
naturally contain enough of the vita
min it is likely to be lost by cooking, and
it is soluble in water
Among the excellent sources listed by
the bureau chemists are lean pork,
chicken. kidney. liver, green peas and
green lima beans, wheat germ and bran,
corn and rye germ and rice polishings,
oats, rye, barley, peanuts, soy beans and
navy beans. A large number of vege-
tables have fair supply of it, although
some of this may be lost by cooking.
1t is also contained in fair quantities
in lean beef, egg yolk and several kinds
of fish. 1t has been found in fresh milk,
turnips, broccoli, eggplant, bananas,
watermelons, raspberries and blackber-
ries, but one would have to eat lot
Of these to get sufficient supply.
One of its physiological functions is
to make possible the clean burning of
sugars in the body. This is the reason
why the woman hospital workers, de-
prived of it, soon became nauseated at
the sight of candy.