Licence: In copyright
Credit: Beriberi. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
173/464 (page 153)
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Beriberi. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
![tilted three-fourths of the whole nuniher of ])atients. Treatment was general, and there was no definite opinion as regards the food. In order to be better prepared for studying the subject I went to lingland in 1875, and after five years' study returned to Japan in 1880. The general conditions on my return were exactly the same as before I went to England, and with subsequent increase of sailors more beri- beri cases appeared.- At times we found the hospital too small and had to use neighboring temples. I feared if these conditions continued our navy would be of no use in time of need. While studying the disease I noticed the following facts: i. ISeriberi occurred mostly from the end of spring to summer, but it was not limited to the warm season, sometimes occurring during the severe cold winter. 2. The occurrence of the disease varied in dififerent ships, barracks, etc. 3. Even on the same ship it appeared in some stations and not in others, and was never certain. 4. It occurred from time to time without regard to the state of quarters or clothing. 5. Although clothing, food and quarters were not quite the same in all stations, yet they were almost similar. 6. Sailors, soldiers, policemen, students and shop boys suffered most. The upper class rarely became affected. 7. The people living in the same place suffered unequally; that is, some suf- fered and others did not. 8. Although it occurred mostly in large cities, yet it sometimes appeared in the smaller town as well. In 1882 three warships were sent to Chemulpo. They stayed there only 40 days, but owing to the shortness of hands, caused by the preva- lence of beriberi, the officers felt unfit for battle. For example, in one of the ships 195 out of 330 were down with beriberi. In 1883 I exam- ined the hygienic conditions of ships, barracks, schools, etc., belonging to the navy. I found that although working hours, clothing, dwelling houses, etc., were similar everywhere, yet in food there was a great deal of difference. I now asked the head of each department to send me in reports describing in detail the food eaten on three difterent days. From this I discovered that the nitrogenous substances con- tained in the food zvere not sufficient to maintain nitrogen nietabolisnt, bat thai the food contained to'o much carbohydrate. Physiologists esti- mate that a man requires 310 grams of carbon and 20 grams of nitro- gen, i. e., nitrogen should be to carbon as one is to 15.5. The food taken by our sailors contained one part of nitrogen to 17-32 parts of carbon. And finally, the greater the difference in these proportions the more beriberi occurred, and the lesser the difference the less beriberi occurred. Thus I came to think that beriberi is caused by the dispro- portion of nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous elements in food. That](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b23984442_0173.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
