The VITAMINS*
of the blood of avitaminous pigeons is probably due entirely to p p v i c acid. Cardiac damage: hypertrophy of the right heart; 11. THE WATER-SOLUBLE VITAHINs decompensation. The cardiac involvement in vitamin BI deficiency is not amenable to treatment with digiVICTOR E. LEVINE talis, but is very favorably influenced by vitamin B, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska therapy. ~ n ~ ~ l v e m of e nthe t nervous system: loss of coVITAMIN B1 ordinating power of the muscles, leading to paralysis of SYNONYMS: Water-Soluble B1; Anti-neuritic Vita- the limbs. Little atrophy of the central nervous sysmin; Anti-beriberi Vitamin; AppetiteStimulating Vi- tem, the paralytic symptoms being due mainly to imtamin. paired functional activity of the nerve cells rather than Vitamin B1 has been obtained in crystalline form. to their degeneration. Convulsions; vomiting. In According to R. R. Williams (1935) the formula for birds: opisthotonos, emprosthotonos, convulsive seizvitamin B1 indicates the presence in the molecule of ures, cartwheel turning. a pyrimidine base and of a thiazole derivative. Sterility in the male due to atrophy of the testes with shrunken tubules and absence of spermatozoa. Sterility in the female due to cessation of cestrus I cycle as the result of failure of ovulation. C-CCH2:CHzOH Diminished resistance to infection, especially in the HC /I c-N
