The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-25
|III|H POOR
Due 70 LACK
/, Of VT AMINEs

d FRGDKRIC J. HAOKN.

d RRKDKRlC ]. HASKN.
Washington, D. c., May 25-rhat
lack q those recently discovered
subotances In our food. the vita
MINIS. 10 responsible in great meas
80 Tor the breakdown in health
|hlch now adlicts European coun-
ylpo II the opinion Of many health
xp1rtS. The fall in the birth rate,
ecially, they say. 10 due to lack
T. Sitamines, which are believed to
y necessary to q proper function
~ of the reproductive processes.
The importance Of vitamines a.
IN element Of diet is being con-
stantly emphasized by the expert
ments which scientists are making
with them. and everyone ought to
understand the important place
which these substances occupy in
his vital economy, and how to in
sure that his diet contains enough
OF them.
BY way Of Observation-Disclosures
are accessory substances" which
occur in some foods. besides pro-
TEN and other elements, and which
are essential to health, even to
life. The exact nature of vitamines
II still very obscure.
Oil Restores Health.
A Red Cross doctor tells OF
children in Rumania who were
existing on nothing but a little
cornmeal and very thin bran and
vegetable soup. Some had eye dis
eases, some were blind, some had
swollen limbs, all were pitifully
thin. The doctor heard OF ship
at Archangel with a cargo OF cod
liver oil. He arranged to take over
the cargo and added a little of the
oil to the children's ration with re-
markable effect. The cod liver oil
contained vitamines which were
lacking in other food. Milk OF
eggs would have achieved the same
result in a more pleasurable way
but to the starving city. fish oil was
welcome.
Through careful attention to bal.
Anced rations, Denmark, of all the
European countries, has best sur.
vived the war. Following the ad.
vice Of her food experts, Denmark
killed off about two-thirds of hel
cattle at the beginning Of the war
to avoid feeding them. She gave
up her white bread for whole whea,
and rye which contained the vita.
mines lacking in white -four. She
planted huge potato crops, for po-
tat0es contain vitamines and Other
valuable food elements. The result
has been that in the face Of block
AIDES and shortages the Danes have
flourished, while other nations les,
scientifically managed are suffering
from diseases Of malnutritiOn.
Many Here Suffer.
Pellagra, beri-beri. scurvy. sount
like diseases Of the Philippine bush
Yet they are all over Europe. 1t il
harder still to realize that owe
100000 persons in the supposedl
we'll fed United States contrac
pellagra every year, from a die
deficient In vitamines, and tina
cases Of scurvy among both adult
and infants run still higher. Thi
/ Is true even with federal, state an
\ local health authorities actively en-
4 gagged in teaching the people tn
\ importance Of eating wholesom
II food In q balanced diet.
Thousands of our children, badl
fed. children OF the poor and middl
classes alike, are growing up
NJ swell the ranks OF the defective
\ the stupid, the sick. These chi
Il dren may be gorged with foods;
4 home. but, because Of ignorance ,
II dietetics, elements necessary ,
n growth and health are lacking.
Il some cases . glass Of milk, or
Il other cases an orange, or the Jul,
4 Of D tomato, added to the men
4 Zach day would supply the vitamir
1 deficiency.
Scientists are not in accord &
many theories about the rath'
n elusive vitamines, but they a
agree as to the importance of the!
\ substances. Men Of science all ovt
\ The world are making vitamir
\ studies. Ono chemist has Just al
| nouneed that, 20 far as its vitamir
4 content Is concerned, ounce II
/ ounce orange Juice is more valuab
| as food than milk. Other sciel
4 lists are making tests to find o,
/ whether the important substance
l are cooked out OF existence in th
/ highly heated commercially car
ned foods. while others are tryin
4 desperately to isolate one little vita
mine 20 that they can tell the worl
Il exactly what 1t looks like.
Corn Contains Vitamines.
II Vitamines first came into tn
Il llmelight about 1911, though fou
II Tears before their existence wa