Pellagra, a critical study / by John Aulde.

  • Aulde, John.
Date:
[1916]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pellagra, a critical study / by John Aulde. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/22 (page 4)
    Another important item relates to the laboratory- method of concentrating the yeast filtrate for con¬ venience in administration to humans—by using aluminum silicate to secure adsorption. The daily dose of this latter substance for adults amounts to 5 grams (75 grains), and since Dr. Seidell suggests the employment of vitamines for pellagra, we must bear in mind that both silica and aluminum have been held responsible for this disease. Preceding the “vitamine” theory several specious theories have been advanced within the past few years, one of which deserves attention, viz., that silica in the food eaten and water drunk can pro¬ duce the disease. The plausibility of this concep¬ tion seemed at first a deduction fully warranted, when it was shown that guinea-pigs, rabbits, dogs, and monkeys fed upon silica developed the charac¬ teristic symptoms recognized as belonging to pel¬ lagra. The fallacy of this theory was shown by the writer4 in a short article in which it was indicated how silica became a factor in experimental work. Thus, pellagra is a disorder characterized by a diminished alkalinity of the blood (acid excess), and as a result of this chemical deviation there fol¬ lows depletion of the lime salts, magnesium salts taking their place. By or through this substitution there is an excess of magnesium salts in the tissues —then the addition of silica, which has an affinity for magnesium, gives rise to a new combination, magnesium silicate. Like sodium silicate, mag¬ nesium silicate shows a tendency to harden when it is cooled, and that accounts for the various “rheumatic” affections which involve principally the smaller joints. The sponsor for silica, Alesendrini, an Italian, had previously written a book to prove that pellagra was an infectious disease, but this he