^{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.