The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-08-12
VITAMINES ARE
ESSENTIAL TO
BODILY HEALTH

A little more than a decade ago
some eXperimenters fed one group
of cows on corn exclusively. An
other group was given only oats and
third group was allowed nothing
but wheat. Those fed on corn kept
more healthy and did better gen
orally than any of the others. Nat
urally it was concluded that corn
contains some important element
that the other Grains lack. Science
has since discovered that corn is
richer than the other grains in vi
tamines-peculiar accessory sub
stances" which are essential to the
vital processes and therefore to
health in man and other animals.
Some time after this British
physician was making a study of
beri-beri, a disease that is induced
by faculty diet and that has long
been prevalent in Eastern lands.
Like earlier observers, he noted
that the disease usually attacked
people who lived largely on polished
rice and passed by those who ate
brown unhusked rice. By way of
experiment some of the sufferers
were fed quantity of the coarse
material removed in the process of
polishing the grain and recovery took
place within a short time. An
analysis of the husk revealed a
peculiar substance different from
starch, protein and other familiar
| food elements. Because of its evil
dent Importance this was named
"vitamine," from the Latin word
meaning life.
No-one yet knows just what vita
mines are but their Importance in
the diet is generally recognized by
medical men. They are found in
various fruits and vegetables, par
ticularly when fresh. Three kinds
have been recognized, namely, "fat
soluble A." "water soluble B" anC
water soluble &C"
The first occurs in raw cabbage
spinach and other greens as well as
in animal fats, milk, butter, cheese
etc. Vitamine B is found in most
of the common vegetables and
grains. Vitamine c is most abund-
ant in fresh fruits. 1t is also pres
ent in vegetables of various kinds
and in milk and meat Many be-
lieve that vitamines come originally
from plants and that those found
in milk, meat and other animal
products are obtained from the
grass and other vegetable food of
the animals.
| Experiments on the lower animals
have demonstrated that vitamines
are absolutely indispensable to nor
NAL growth and even to life but
no-one can say just how they af-
feet the vital processes. 1t APP
pears that in some way they slim
ulate the glands of the body and
thus promote dgeG ton and the
growth and repair of the tissues.
Medical experts are convinced
that much of the ill-health among
Europeans at the time of the war
and since has resulted from an in
sufficient supply of vitamnes in
the food eaten. Not only has this
lack of vitamines brought about
more sickness and increasing death
rate but it has been largely respon
sible for declining birth rates, health
experts declare.
Rumanian children who had moth
ing to eat but scanty rations of
corn meal and thin bran and vege-
table soup, diet deficient in vi
tamines, were found suffering from
blindness and eye disease of various
kinds. All were extremely thin
and some had swollen limbs. Cod
liver oil was added to their diet
and an extraordinary improvement
in their condition was Immediately
apparent, due mainly to the vita
mines supplied by the oil.
Many Europeans are suffering
from pellagra, beri-ebri and scurvy
diseases due to a diet lacking in
vitamines and other food elements
Despite the fact that food is rela-
lively abundant in the United
States, 100000 pellagra cases occur
here every year and scurvy is ever
more common. Because of ignor
ance if dietetics, many children are
given foods lacking in elements es
sential to health and proper growth
and as result are developing int
mental and physical detectives. Ere
quently the simple addition of fresE
milk or fresh fruits, such as oranges
apples, tomatoes and the like t.
the daily diet would supply tn
vitamine deficiency and assure health
and normal development.
Good clean milk is regarded a
the best of all foods for children
because it supplies vitamines anc
other elements essential to growtl
and the maintenance of health. S.
far as vitamine content is concerned
however, organge juice is though
to be- more valuable food thar
milk. The Juice of the grape fru
is also a valuable addition to thu
diet because of it's richness in vi
tamines. The juice of fresh o
canned tomatoes is practically a
good as these fresh fruit juices ant
so is sweet turnip juice. Thest
fruits and vegetables should b
used to supplement milk and othe1
foods that may be deficient in vita
mines.
| CnNHIN Tt1NC AnOTInn