Edwin B. Hart
Encyclopedia
Edwin B. Hart was an American
biochemist
.
A native of Ohio
, Hart studied physiological
chemistry under Albrecht Kossel
(1910 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
) in Germany
, and also studied at the University of Marzburg and University of Heidelberg. Upon his return to the United States
, he worked at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
(Part of Cornell University
) in Geneva, New York
and then the University of Michigan
before being hired by Stephen M. Babcock in 1906 to conduct what would later be known as the "single-grain experiment
" that would run from May 1907 to 1911. This experiment would entail a long-term feeding plan using a chemically-balanced diet
of carbohydrates, fat, and protein instead of single plant rations as done in Babcock's earlier experiments of 1881 and 1901.
Hart directed the experiment, Babcock provided ideas, and George C. Humphrey oversaw the welfare of the cows during the experiment. Edwin V. McCollum, an organic chemist from Connecticut
, was hired by Hart to analyze the grain rations and the cow feces
. The experiment called for four groups of four heifer
calves each during which three groups were raised and two pregnancies
were carried through during the experiment. The first group ate only wheat, the second group ate only bran
, the third group ate only corn, and the last group ate a mixture of the other three.
In 1908, it was shown that the corn-fed animals were the most healthy of the group while the wheat-fed groups were the least healthy. All four groups bred during that year with the corn-fed calves being the healthiest while the wheat and mixed-fed calves were stillborn
or later died. Similar results were found in 1909. In 1910, the corn-fed cows had their diets switched to wheat and the non-corn-fed cows were fed wheat. This produced unhealthy calves for the formerly corn-fed cows while the remaining cows produced healthy calves. When the 1909 formulas were reintroduced to the respective cows in 1911, the same gestation results in 1909 occurred again in 1911. These results were published in 1911. Similar results had been done in the Dutch East Indies
(now Indonesia
) in 1901, in Poland
in 1910, and in England
in 1906 (though the English results were not published until 1912).
Hart later went on to his career to determine that a possible cause of Goitre
was iodine
deficiency in 1917 with Harry Steenbock
. In 1939, Hart and his associates developed a process that stabilized iodine in table salt
which proved inexpensive and effective in dealing with goiter. He also determined that copper
facilitates iron
assimilation into the body, leading to a possible therapeutic agent to fight anemia
, although its use has never been implemented in medical practice.
Hart died in 1953. The Institute of Food Technologists
would later rename the Stephen M. Babcock Award (created in 1948) into the Babcock-Hart Award
in honor of both men's work in improving public health through better nutrition
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
biochemist
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
.
A native of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Hart studied physiological
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
chemistry under Albrecht Kossel
Albrecht Kossel
Ludwig Karl Martin Leonhard Albrecht Kossel was a German biochemist and pioneer in the study of genetics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1910 for his work in determining the chemical composition of nucleic acids, the genetic substance of biological cells.Kossel...
(1910 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
) in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and also studied at the University of Marzburg and University of Heidelberg. Upon his return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he worked at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, Ontario County, New York State, is an integral part of the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. It is a mission-oriented experiment station with a strong emphasis on applied research...
(Part of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
) in Geneva, New York
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
and then the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
before being hired by Stephen M. Babcock in 1906 to conduct what would later be known as the "single-grain experiment
Single-grain experiment
The single-grain experiment was an experiment carried out at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from May 1907 to 1911. The experiment tested if cows could survive on a single type of grain. The experiment would lead to the development of modern nutritional science.-Foundations:In 1881,...
" that would run from May 1907 to 1911. This experiment would entail a long-term feeding plan using a chemically-balanced diet
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
of carbohydrates, fat, and protein instead of single plant rations as done in Babcock's earlier experiments of 1881 and 1901.
Hart directed the experiment, Babcock provided ideas, and George C. Humphrey oversaw the welfare of the cows during the experiment. Edwin V. McCollum, an organic chemist from Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, was hired by Hart to analyze the grain rations and the cow feces
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
. The experiment called for four groups of four heifer
Heifer
Heifer may refer to:*A young cow before she has had her first calf*Red Heifer, in Judaism is a heifer that is sacrificed and whose ashes are used for the ritual purification*Heifer International, a charitable organization...
calves each during which three groups were raised and two pregnancies
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
were carried through during the experiment. The first group ate only wheat, the second group ate only bran
Bran
Bran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the grains lose a portion of their...
, the third group ate only corn, and the last group ate a mixture of the other three.
In 1908, it was shown that the corn-fed animals were the most healthy of the group while the wheat-fed groups were the least healthy. All four groups bred during that year with the corn-fed calves being the healthiest while the wheat and mixed-fed calves were stillborn
Stillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
or later died. Similar results were found in 1909. In 1910, the corn-fed cows had their diets switched to wheat and the non-corn-fed cows were fed wheat. This produced unhealthy calves for the formerly corn-fed cows while the remaining cows produced healthy calves. When the 1909 formulas were reintroduced to the respective cows in 1911, the same gestation results in 1909 occurred again in 1911. These results were published in 1911. Similar results had been done in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
(now Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) in 1901, in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 1910, and in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1906 (though the English results were not published until 1912).
Hart later went on to his career to determine that a possible cause of Goitre
Goitre
A goitre or goiter , is a swelling in the thyroid gland, which can lead to a swelling of the neck or larynx...
was iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
deficiency in 1917 with Harry Steenbock
Harry Steenbock
Harry Steenbock was a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.-Vitamin D:...
. In 1939, Hart and his associates developed a process that stabilized iodine in table salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
which proved inexpensive and effective in dealing with goiter. He also determined that copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
facilitates iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
assimilation into the body, leading to a possible therapeutic agent to fight anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
, although its use has never been implemented in medical practice.
Hart died in 1953. The Institute of Food Technologists
Institute of Food Technologists
The Institute of Food Technologists or IFT is an international, non-profit professional organization for the advancement of food science and technology. It is the largest of food science organizations in the world, encompassing 22,000 members worldwide as of 2006. It is referred to as "THE Society...
would later rename the Stephen M. Babcock Award (created in 1948) into the Babcock-Hart Award
Babcock-Hart Award
The Babcock-Hart Award has been awarded since 1948 by the Institute of Food Technologists. It is given for significant contributions in food technology that resulted in public health through some aspects of nutrition. It was first named the Stephan M. Babcock Award after the agricultural chemist...
in honor of both men's work in improving public health through better nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
.