DIETARY PROTEIN AND THE DEVELOPMENT

The literature dealing with lathyrism contains many ref erences to the possible role of protein in the development of the syndrome. The earlier papers have been reviewed by Lewis and his group ( '48) and deal largely with the question of the existence of toxic material in some species of Lathyrus, in contrast with the idea that protein insufficiency is the causa tive agent. Acceptance of the presence of an actual toxic agent has been followed by a shift in emphasis toward exploration of the question of whether proteins play a specific role in altering the course of the syndrome. Of immediate interest among this latter group of publica tions are the papers of Vivanco, Diaz and Palacios ('50), Dasler ('54) and Bachhuber and Lalich ('54). Dasler found that both casein and gelatin exert a protective action against the development of the skeletal deformities characteristic of the syndrome and also promote growth ; gelatin being less effective than casein. Bachhuber and Lalich found it difficult to produce aortic aneurism in the presence of dietary casein levels above 10%. Vivanco, Diaz and Palacios state there is a factor associated with the animal protein factor which is effective against rat lathyrism. During the development in this laboratory of a procedure for the isolation of the toxic agent in the Singletary pea (L. pusillus), it was observed that two distinct toxicity pat terns developed. One conformed to the classical picture of rat lathyrism in which skeletal changes are dominant ; the