Cure for Beriberi In 1887, a strange nerve disease attacked the people in the Dutch East Indies. The disease was beriberi. Symptoms of the disease included weakness and loss of appetite. Victims often died of heart failure. Scientists thought the disease might be caused by bacteria. They injected chickens with bacteria from the blood patients with beriberi. The injected chickens became sick. However, those groups of chickens that were not injected with bacteria also became sick. One of the scientists, Dr. Eijkman, noticed something. Before the experiment, all chickens had eaten whole grain rice, but during the experiment, the chickens were fed polished rice. Dr. Eijkman researched this interesting case. He found that polished rice lack thiamine, a vitamin necessary for good health. Questions: 1. What was the observation? 2. What was the hypothesis? 3. How was the hypothesis tested? 4. What was the result of the experiment? 5. What conclusion could be drawn? 6. Which of the following conclusions is based on the experiment described in the passage? Defend your answer. a. Humans can catch beriberi from diseased chickens. b. Beriberi only occurs in the Dutch East Indies. c. Scientists have not yet determined which bacteria cause beriberi. d. Adequate intake of thiamine prevents beriberi disease. e. Whole grain rice and polished rice have equivalent nutritional value.
A Cure for Beriberi
In 1887, a strange nerve disease attacked the people in the Dutch East Indies. The disease was beriberi. Symptoms of the disease included weakness and loss of appetite. Victims often died of heart failure. Scientists thought the disease might be caused by bacteria. They injected chickens with bacteria from the blood patients with beriberi. The injected chickens became sick. However, those groups of chickens that were not injected with bacteria also became sick.
One of the scientists, Dr. Eijkman, noticed something. Before the experiment, all chickens had eaten whole grain rice, but during the experiment, the chickens were fed polished rice. Dr. Eijkman researched this interesting case. He found that polished rice lack thiamine, a vitamin necessary for good health.
Questions:
1. What was the observation?
2. What was the hypothesis?
3. How was the hypothesis tested?
4. What was the result of the experiment?
5. What conclusion could be drawn?
6. Which of the following conclusions is based on the experiment described in the passage? Defend your answer.
a. Humans can catch beriberi from diseased chickens.
b. Beriberi only occurs in the Dutch East Indies.
c. Scientists have not yet determined which bacteria cause beriberi.
d. Adequate intake of thiamine prevents beriberi disease.
e. Whole grain rice and polished rice have equivalent nutritional value.
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