Vitamins and Capacity for Work

that the iron exerted a stimulating effect, to which, however, the haemopoietic system soon became accustomed. He ascribed the variations he had obtained more to environmentalI than to dietetic conditions. His conclusion was that the blood picture was not a true reflection of the state of health of the child. A well-developed child might have even lower haemoglobin and red cell values than an ill-developed child. Nor was the blood picture necessarily an inidex to the iron content of the diet. Iron administered considerably in excess of the body's requirements caused, as a rule, no permanent rise in haemoglobin level. In medicinal doses iron had an irritant effect on the haemopoietic system, and the highest values reached were not maintained. Iron in the Dietary Dr. HUGH SINCLAIR agreed that haemoglobin values were somewhat untrustworthy. He gave the figures for nutritional surveys in Oxford and other towns, and said that the results supported Dr. Mackay's contention that there was anaemia, presumably nutritional, among women, though iron was not necessarily the whole story. Rationing had produced a shift towards bread and potatoes and other vegetables, and away from fish, eggs, and meat, so that the iron intake was probably lower than before the war. A dietitian in Oxford had made a preliminary analysis of the diets of 22 families covered by the survey in 1941 and again in 1942. The main difference as between the two periods was the introduction of national wheatmeal bread. In these families it might appear from a study of the food consumed that iron intake had greatly increased. In 1941 it was below the League of Nations standard-not a high one-and in 1942 above it, but it was probable that the considerable increase of iron in the dietary was not very relevant, because in so far as it was accounted for by national wheatmeal flour it was not available owing to the presence of a large amount of phytic acid. Dr. Sinclair also mentioned an investigation into the use of iron cooking utensils. If a potato were cooked in an iron vessel for about 20 minutes, 3 mg. of iron per helping was obtained, or slightly more than with an aluminium vessel, but if an apple were boiled in an iron vessel for only 5 minutes, 19 mg. of iron would be found in the apple, whereas with aluminium the quantity was negligible. In further discussion Dr. R. H. DOBBs and Prof. R. ELLIS mentioned difficulties in obtaining accurate haemoglobin estimation, especially in cold weather when extremities were " blue. " A short paper was read on behalf of Prof. L. S. P. DAVIDSON showing low figures for haemoglobin among 831 infants and children of working-class families in Edinburgh. Dr. C. F. BROCKINGTON considered that, contradictory as the evidence might be with regard to the absorption of iron from the diet, a measure of fortification of the dietary in iron constituents should be undertaken. Dr. J. YUDKIN said that the haemoglobin levels for some 1,100 Cambridge school children were very good, but. some Scottish results with which he had also been concerned were poorer. Dr. MARSHALL described the results of 400 estimations made on blood donors at a blood storage eepot. The average figure for men was about 100%1, and for women during the reproductive period of life 82%. Dr. HELEN MACKAY, in reply, said that there might be seasonal variations in the haemoglobin level. Dr. Findlay's findings and her own differed profoundly in many respects. She had found, contrary to his experience, that the haemoglobin levels of infants could be kept up satisfactorily by giving iron, not for a period of weeks but for many months, and she believed that these findings had been confirmed in other parts of the world.