Pigeon Anemia as a Deficiency Disease

Abstract

The procedure followed in producing pigeon anemia is to withhold all members of the vitamin B complex for 4 or 5 weeks, then supply vitamin B₁. The development of anemia was not affected by supplying the pigeons with wheat germ oil, riboflavin, or nicotinic acid. The anemia is not due to partial inanition alone. Some of the erythrocytes of anemic pigeons are abnormal, resembling in some measure the characteristic red corpuscles of sickle-cell anemia. It is suggested as a tentative hypothesis that the anemia is due to a deficiency of a previously unrecognized vitamin.