中國是一個大量出産和大量消耗米的一個國家,在第二次世界大戰前每年的産量東北不算在内,就有五千零六十萬公噸的穀子。也就是說有三千七百萬公噸的大米,而且每年大約還有二百萬公噸的入口。在消耗方面米是超過其他所有穀類的總和,亦超過一切非穀類糧食的總和。造成這項主要食物的消耗量,一方面由於習慣嗜好,另一方面也由於經濟原因,因爲米是比其他食物來得便宜,而且容易吃飽。在近代化碾米機器沒有輸入中國之前,雖然吃大量的米加上少量的其他食物,生命尚可維持,而且健康也不算很壞。但是自從食用機器碾的米以後,脚氣病就開始在中國 China is a country that produces and consumes large quantities of rice. Before the Second World War, the annual output was not counted in the northeast, and there were 50.6 million tons of millet. This means that there are 37 million metric tons of rice and there are about 2 million metric tons of imports each year. In terms of consumption, rice exceeds the sum of all other cereals and exceeds the sum of all non-cereal foods. The consumption of this staple food, on the one hand because of habitual hobbies, on the other hand also for economic reasons, is that rice is cheaper than other foods and that it is easy to eat. Before the modern rice-milling machines were not imported into China, life could be maintained and health was not too bad, even though a large amount of rice plus a small amount of other food was consumed. However, beriberi has started in China since the rice was milled