Vitamin C Requirements of the Syrian Hamster

WHILE engaged in some endocrinological and immunological work on the Syrian hamster, we became interested in the diet of this animal. It was thought of interest to examine the ascorbic acid requirements of the hamster, because if the animal required this vitamin, the hamster might be a useful animal for vitamin C studies since it reproduces and matures so rapidly, and is susceptible to many infections not easily produced in other animals. Since we started this study, Routh and Houchin¹ have concluded that thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxin, pantothenic acid and nicotinic acid are essential in the diet of the hamster, while Cooper, Waisman and Elvehjem² have concluded that biotin and possibly inositol and p-aminobeiizoic acid, in addition to thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxin, and cholino, are essential to the hamster, but that nicotinic acid and ascorbic acid are not. Since no growth curves have been published, we think the present study would be of interest.