Refection, a Transmissible Change in the Intestinal Content, enabling Rats to grow and thrive without Vitamin B in the Food

Abstract

1. When refected rats are fed on adequate diet, containing vitamin B in the form of yeast, the defect in their starch-digestion disappears, and their faeces become normal.2. Attempts to cause refection in rats receiving an adequate diet by feeding white faeces from refected rats do not influence the starch digestion of the former.3. When refected rats, growing normally, are fed upon a diet devoid of starch (as well as of vitamin B) their body weight decreases rapidly, but in spite of this decrease they live for a considerable time.4. Refection cannot be induced in young rats fed upon a diet devoid of starch and of vitamin B.5. Rats may become or may remain refected when the starch of their 1. diet is replaced by dextrin containing a small amount of starch. The faeces of these rats do not seem able to refect other rats.6. Rats may be refected without producing white faeces, but starch grains have always been present in the faeces of such rats.7. The results of special experiments and the clinical observation of refected rats suggest an essential connection between the ability to grow and thrive without vitamin B and the defective digestion of starch.8. Attempts at refection have no beneficial influence upon rats suffering from a deficiency of vitamin A.9. Refection has been transmitted to albino mice receiving a diet devoid of vitamin B, but the refection lasted only for a short time. Attempts at refection of rice-fed pigeons have not succeeded.10.The bearing of studies in refection upon several problems connected with vitamin B is discussed.