SCHIZOPHRENIA
It is postulated that the peanut factor may act by enhancing thrombocyte action without affecting fibrin production, or by some effect on capillary integrity, and the authors postulate that claims for the effectiveness of other supplements, such as vitamin Bu, <Estrogens, etc., have been advanced but have not been substantiated.
Abstract
which the ingestion of some extraneous substance can remedy a metabolic fault, but there is no good reason why this should not happen if the extraneous substance chances to contain some fraction which could help to alleviate the metabolic defect. These reflections are prompted by a curious observation, recently published, which if confirmed may have important results. A zoologist working at Louisiana State University, H. B. Boudreaux, a sufferer from antihremophilic factor hremophilia, had taken a natural interest in his condition. Evidently thinking along the lines indicated, he had tried ingesting in large daily quantities various foods (blood pudding, liver, raw milk, eggs) which might be supposed likely to overcome the hypothetical metabolic block by furnishing substances in the antihremophilic factor pathway, but without any noticeable effect on his condition. He had been able to lead a reasonably active life with the help of periodic transfusions of fresh blood or lyophilized plasma to tide him over heemophilte episodes. However, three years ago, he noted sudden diminution in symptoms in a knee with an active hrematoma, after eating a large handful of roasted peanuts. No other therapy was tried on this occasion. Since then he has taken peanuts in all available forms at the beginning of any bleeding episode, and in each instance the clinical symptoms were relieved in one or two days. Only once was a transfusion of lyophilized plasma necessary, when the bleeding source was in the pharynx and he could not swallow. An account of his experiences is given in a letter to Natureby Boudreaux and V. L. Frampton. They report that the treatment has been tried on three other hsemophiliacs, in each case with conspicuous success. Attempts to isolate the active factor have shown that it does not reside in the oil, and is removed from peanut flour by extraction with 90% alcohol. Ingestion of peanut flour has no effect on capillary clotting time or on the clotting time of venous blood, and for this reason the authors postulate that the peanut factor may act by enhancing thrombocyte action without affecting fibrin production, or by some effect on capillary integrity. Boudreaux and Frampton are continuing their investigations, but state that they have publtshed their observations to date in the hope of inciting "the interest of medical research to help determine the general occurrence of this phenomenon". Earlier in their letter they mention that claims for the effectiveness of other supplements, such as vitamin Bu, <Estrogens, etc., have been advanced but have not been substantiated. An elementary trial would indicate whether this claim holds any better promise.