STUDIES OF CRYSTALLINE VITAMIN B The rat has been the test animal …

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for the isolation of vitamin B(B!) and as a means of assay of … 1 Weight curves of typical pigeons on increasing vitamin B dosage. …

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STUDIES OF CRYSTALLINE VITAMIN B
VI. THE EFFECT OF GRADUATED DOSES ON PIGEONS
ROBERT E. WATERMAN AND MARION AMMERMAN
Department of Physiological Chemistry, Teachers College, Columbia university
THREE FIQUBES
(Received for publication December 29, 1934)
The rat has been the test animal for the past few years in
this laboratory in the development of a suitable procedure
for the isolation of vitamin B(B!) and as a means of assay of
the crystalline material. In view of the wide use of birds as
B test animals in other laboratories, it was considered advisa
ble to investigate the curative effect of the vitamin on pigeons.
Adult birds were put on a diet of autoclaved whole wheat
ad lib. plus oyster shell. The wheat had been autoclaved for
4 hours at 15 pounds’ steam pressure. Upon the onset of
polyneuritis, usually after 3 to 4 weeks, when the birds had
declined 20 to 25 per cent in weight, dilute ethyl alcohol
solutions of crystalline vitamin B hydrochloride were
administered orally by pipette.
Doses as low as 3 y have always brought about some im
provement and in some cases have effected cures. Four y is
generally curative and 5 y has…