The experimental production and prevention of degeneration in the spinal cord / by Edward Mellanby.

  • Mellanby, Edward, Sir, 1884-1955.
Date:
[1931?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The experimental production and prevention of degeneration in the spinal cord / by Edward Mellanby. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    settled the problem as to whether pure carotene was the active a,gent and the experience of investigators on the relation of cholesterol, ergo- sterol and ultra-violet irradiation to vitamin D, has made many hesitate to declare that carotene itself acts like vitamin A and that its effect is not due to some vitamin A impurity. The general trend of results, however, especially those of Euler and his associates [22], suggests that carotene, a chemical substance associated with vegetable life and especially with green vegetables and carrots, has specifically the biological properties of vitamin A. T. Moore [23] has indeed brought forward evidence which suggests that it is the parent substance of vitamin A, and that on giving carotene to animals vitamin A is produced and stored in the liver. In order, therefore, to test the relationship between vitamin A and carotene from quite a different angle, experiments were made to see whether carotene could also prevent the degenerative changes in the spinal cord produced by cereals and ergot. In the following and other similar experiments, carotene, supplied by the British Drug Houses, was tested to see whether it could prevent the degeneration produced by ergot. Carrots, the richest known source of carotene among vegetable substances, were also tested. Experiment XII. The Prevention of Cord DecjeJiercition by Carotene. Age beginning : 9 weeks. Duration of experiment : About 2 months. Basal diet: White flour, 130 grm. ; separated milk powder, 20 grm. ; lean meat, 10 grm. ; peanut oil, 10 c.c. ; dried yeast, 2'5 grm. ; orange juice, 3 c.c. ; sodium chloride, 3 grm. ; irradiated ergosterol (vitamin D), 0T c.c. Animal Diet variable Cord degeneration as shown by Marchi staining Vitamin A in liver at P.M. as tested by SbCl3 Some clinical notes {CL) Carotene, 5 mg... Ergot, 2 grm. No degeneration .. No vitamin A Fairly active. No inco-ordination (&) Carrots, 25 30 grm. Ergot, 2 grm. No degeneration .. No vitamin A Fairly active (c) Butter, 10 grm... Ergot, 2 grm. No degeneration . . Some vitamin A (1 5 Blue Units per grm. Fairly active. Normal gait (d) — No degeneration .. No vitamin A Fairly active U) Ergot, 2 grm. .. Much degeneration. No vitamin A Very inco-ordinate. Later lost weight and became weak. Eyes not quite normal The rate of growth was good in all cases, but (e) lost weight later in the experi¬ ment. Fig. 8 represents drawings of sections of different levels of the spinal cord