New York: Macmillan, 1938. Black cloth. [2], xvi, 411, [3] pp. Slight cloth bubbling to front cover, light toning to text paper, else fine. Dust jacket is tanned, with small chips, short tears; good. INSCRIBED BY WILLIAMS "To Paul. In memory of much rice polish in our ears. Bob. Oct. 16, 1938". >>>> Robert R. Williams and his associates found the correct formula and synthesis for this vitamin in 1936. "In 1911 a young chemist at the Lister Institute in London named Dr. Casimir Funk crystall ized an amine substance from rice bran. He was sure this was the anti-beri-beri factor and dubbed it 'vitamine' for 'vital amine'. Though these crystals soon proved to have little antineuritic activity (it is now believed Funk crystallized nicotin ic acid), the name stuck. About the same time U.S. Army Medical Officer Captain Edward B. Vedder became convinced by the work of Eijkman and Grijns and others that beri-beri was indeed caused by a nutritional deficiency. Vedder enlisted the help of Dr. Robert R. Williams of the Bureau of Science in Manila in isolating the anti-beri-beri factor.Though Williams worked diligently for over 25 years, often using his own money to fund the research, it was two Dutch chemists, Dr. B. C. P. Jansen a nd Dr. W. Donath, working in Eijkman's old laboratory, who finally crystallized vitamin B1 from rice bran in 1926. They named it aneurin for antineuritic vitamin. Unfortunately Jansen and Donath missed the sulfur atom, and their published incorrec t formula for aneurin caused confusion for several years. It was Williams who published the first correct formula and synthesis for the vitamin in 1936. The American Medical Association did not accept any of the names by which it was known (anti-be riberi factor, anti-beri-beri vitamin, antineuritic vitamin, vitamin B, vitamin B1, etc.) for inclusion in their New and Non-Official Remedies list. Without inclusion in the list Williams' compound could not be advertised in reputable medical journa ls.The AMA asked Williams to come up with a new name and he choose "thiamin". To reflect the vitamin's amine nature the American Chemical Society added an "e" and the name "thiamine" is now accepted." By 1934, Williams had worked out a way to extra ct about 1/3 ounce of the anti-beri-beri factor from a ton of rice polishings. I assume the inscribee is a researcher who worked with Dr. Williams - thus the rice polish reference in the inscription. In recognition for his work, Dr. Williams was awarded the Willard Gibbs Medal, the highest award of organized chemistry in America. Note: 1.5 kg parcel, extra shipping will be required. ; Octavo.