The uses of 'Betaxan' : vitamin B1 / Bayer Products Limited.

Date:
[1939]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The uses of 'Betaxan' : vitamin B1 / Bayer Products Limited. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PHYSIOLOGY 1. Carbohydrate Metabolism. As long ago as 1914, Funk found that polyneuritis gallinarum was more rapidly produced the greater the carbohydrate intake of the birds. Subsequently it was discovered! that vitamin B, lack produced severe upsets of carbohydrate metabolism, but it was for a long time disputed whether these might not be merely secondary effects of inanition. ‘The work of Peters (1936) has, however, definitely shown that vitamin B, is a catalyst needed for the removal of one of the products of carbohydrate metabol- ism. Lactic and pyruvic acids are present in the avitaminotic pigeon’s brain, and, zn vitro, the addition of vitamin B, leads to a rapid increase in oxygen uptake as compared with normal brains. Further, Platt and Lee (1936) have demonstrated pyruvate in the blood and c.s.f. of beri-beri patients. Lohman and Schuster (1937) have shown that the pyrophosphate of vitamin B, acts as a co-carboxylase, and this may explain its ability to remove pyruvic acid. 2. Nervous System. Nerve degeneration occurs in all types of animal suffering from B, lack. The polyneuritis is characterised by a degeneration of the myelin sheaths of the peripheral nerves. Degenerative changes in the central nervous system are less constant. It is interesting to note that Wolback (1937) could show no difference in the nerves of clinically cured pigeons and those allowed to die of polyneuritis. It would appear that the histological changes are not directly causative of the clinical findings. 3. Cardiovascular System. Although B, lack in rats leads to bradycardia, Wenckebach (1928) and others have shown that in human beri-beri tachy- cardia is the rule. The usual findings in man are cardiac en-
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