Anhydraemia in Rats Suffering From Lack of What Has Been Called Vitamin B.

Students of vitamin “B” deficiency are well aware that animals fed a complete diet except with respect to vitamin “B” lose their appetite for the deficient ration and rapidly decline in body weight. It is also well known that an increase of blood concentration occurs in starvation. The question arises whether a deficiency of what has been spoken of hitherto as vitamin B is associated with anhydraemia, and if such is the case, whether this can be accounted for by the starvation phenomenon which so frequently prevails.

Consequently, a series of albino rats weighing between 200 and 250 gm. were placed on a vitamin “B” deficient diet. Control animals were given on an average the same amount of food and water daily as the vitamin “B” deficient rats consumed. Blood samples were obtained by cardiac puncture from each rat of both groups from week to week during the course of the vitamin deficient and realimentation periods. Hemoglobin estimations were made by the Cohen and Smith 1 method.

The results indicate that a definite increase in hemoglobin occurs during the vitamin “B” deficient period followed by a very distinct drop during the first few days of realimentation. The parallel changes that developed in the control group of rats indicate that the phenomenon just described may be accounted for by the diminished food and water consumption incident to “B” avitaminosis. Other experiments performed on another species (dog) and extending over a period of approximately 1 year appear to confirm these results.