The etiology of hemorrhage in the new-born, except in cases of hemorrhagic disease, is one of the puzzling problems of medicine. Whenever such hemorrhage occurs, trauma or syphilis is suspected, but frequently autopsy does not reveal either of these. In animals such causes are eliminated a priori. Hence, on discovering cerebral hemorrhage in young rats, it seemed expedient to make a biologic study of this subject.
In our laboratory it has been found that certain synthetic diets containing a limited amount of vitamin B apparently are associated with hemorrhage, whereas stock diets are not. Female rats fed from the time of weaning on the minimum amount of vitamin B necessary for normal growth and conception, are unable usually to deliver and carry their young through the lactation period. None of the mothers have shown signs of avitaminosis unless excessive hemorrhage at delivery is considered an indication of this condition. Although