Beriberi << BEHR ee BEHR ee >> is a disease caused by a lack of vitamin B-1, or thiamine. The name is taken from the Sinhalese, and means I cannot, because the victim is too sick to do anything. Beriberi is characterized by stiffness of the lower limbs, paralysis, and pain. Muscle tissue gradually breaks down, and anemia develops. In advanced cases, the nervous system is affected.
Beriberi was once common in China, Japan, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines. The diet in these countries consisted largely of white rice that had lost its thiamine content during milling. Changes in the diet, higher standards of living, and the availability of synthetic thiamine have greatly reduced the occurrence of beriberi in these countries. Beriberi may also occur in people who drink much alcohol over a long period of time. In these cases, alcohol is substituted for important foods. This causes vitamin deficiencies, particularly of vitamin B-1. Beriberi is treated by thiamine injections and a diet rich in thiamine.
