Potassium in the Brain in Vitamin B₁ Deficiency

Abstract

IT has been stated that there is increased amount of potassium in the brains of pigeons suffering from vitamin B₁ deficiency. In view of the general interest attached to potassium salts and phenomena of excitation, I have re-examined this question. Unfortunately, I cannot find any significant difference between the amounts of potassium in the brains of normal and vitamin B₁ deficient pigeons, the values being 3.6 mgm. per gram of tissue in each case. The changes obtained by these authors¹ cannot, therefore, have been due to the avitaminosis.