Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Beriberi. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Gerstein Science Information Centre at the University of Toronto, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto.
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![Newly coined descriptive names for beriberi used by certain authors: Asthma Marinha (Carter). Hydrops Asthmaticus (Rogers). AJ3elo])athia tropica scorbutica (van Overbeek de :\Ieijer). Neuritis nuiltiplex endemica (Scheube). Paraplegia ]\Iephitica fSwaving). Panneuritis endemica (Baelz). Scro-])lnhisis perniciosa endemica (Wernicli). Synclonus 1)criberia (^iason Good). Ahliough sucli names have a certain vahie, the word beriberi has been used for luuKh-eds of years to designate this (hsease and is gen- erallv a(h)])te(l by all authors at present. In the interest of simplicity o{ nomenclature it is to be de-ired that no more names be coined for this disease, and therefore the term beriheri will he used in this book, although adnu'tting that we do not know the ])recise origin or meaning of the word. Uerilieri has often been confused with other conditions. Some observers have failed to distinguish it from anchylostomiasis, per- nicious anaemia, sleejung sickness and lathyrisiu. It is also capable of coexisting with other di-eases. such as scurvy ( AFonteith). Pecause of these facts, and because it is always desirable to have before the mind a clear ])icture of the matter under di-cussion, a definition of beril)eri will now he given, although it i> full}- realized that no brief dehnition can be wholly satisfactory. Definition. IJeriberi is an acute or chronic disease, characterized 1)\- changes in the nervous system and ])articularly by a multiple peri- pheral neuritis, with an especial tendency to attack tlie nerves of the limbs, the ])neumogastrics and phrenics. Ordinarily the clinical pic- ture of a ])eri])heral neuritis is combined in varying degrees with cardiac disturhances, oedema, serous effusions and ga^tro-intestinal derangements. Pxce])tionall\- cases occur in which cardiac dilatation and -udden death are the first symptoms observed. It is a disease re-ulting from fault}' metabolism, usiiaJly only seen in those persons who eat rice as the staple article of diet, and is directly caused by tlie deliciencv of certain vitamines* in the food. A vitaniiiK- is a sul)stanc(,' wliich is present in minute- (|nantitifs in varitnis t'ood stuffs. A certain (|uantity of vitaminc-s must lie su])i)liecl if tlu' organism is to maintain a normal mttaholism. 'j'lic- (k-iirivation of one of tliesc vitamines results in tb.c production of a certain disease. 'I'luis scurvy is due to the deprivation of one vitamine, while beriberi is due to the deprivation of another or jirobably of two vitamines.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20995611_0012.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
