The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-02-15
SCIENCE SEEKS
FOR V|TAMINES
Elusive Substance Gives Zest
and Real Value to the
Food We Eat.
FLEES THE TABLE D'A0TES
Scientists Concentrate on Separating
1t From Viands, but Without Sue
cess-Dffer as to What 4
Vltamine Really Is.

New York-Food values are Of es-
pecial interest these days of high
prices.
One dimes at, say, restaurant in
New York city's Latin Quarter"
famed for its atmosphere but uncer-
tain as to cooking. The food is men
toned casually on the menu in sew
eral languages-o the chicken is
tasteless, the potatoes boring and the
salad disappointing. However, one is
hungry and eats largely. An hour
later, the pangs Of hunger again make
themselves felt. One finally resorts to
the home icebox and partakes of some
humble bread and butter and milk.
and that indefnable lack is. satisfied.
The reason for this state of affairs
Is not far to seek. Vitamines At
such places the food is deficient in
these intangible and microscopic sub
stances, which scientists have proved
are essential to nutrition and which
are to be found in large number of
properly prepared foods but are de-
stroyed by excessive heat, drying or
other methods of preservation often
employed for economy or convenience.
The mystery Of the vitamine is, there
fore, Of vital interest, as its name i'm
plies, to the world at large.
What Is Vtamine?
Just what is vitamine? This ques-
ton is still perplexing chemists, &C.
cording to recent article by d.
Atherton Seidell of the public health
service in the current number of the
Journal of Industrial and Engineering
Chemistry. These elusive substances
have been found necessary not only as
dietary factors but even for the pro-
iongation Of life. Their exact nature,
however, still remains mystery,
though much has been discovered con-
corning their effect on the human sys-
tenn and the general benefits conferred
by them. For instance, experiments
have proved that animals can live in
definitely on diet of milk alone. But
supply all the constituents Of milk
separately proteins, carbohydrates,
fats and salts, in fact, all the known
food elements the animal wastes
away and finally dies.
Several theories are held in regard
to this problem. Some scientists In
cline to classify vitamines as struc-
tural compounds Of living tissues,
which function along the same lines
as the other tissues. Others relegate
them to the "catalysts," those strange
substances which have been APPLY de-
fined as chemical parsons as they
accomplish the chemical union of
various substances without being |
themselves affected. Many think that
they are derived originally from
plants, and one well-known scientist
states that they are always present
ID natural foodstuffs instinctively con-
'umed by men and animals.
Three Types Of Vitamine.
At the present time. three types Of
7itamine are known to exist: The
variety, found in milk,
,east, and other substances; the fat
oluble ones, which are present in but
er and egg yolks; and third class,
designated as "antiscorbutic, which is
ound in q number OF fresh vegetables
nd fruits and also in the outside
usk of rice. Lack of these necessary
God constituents results in various
Ils-scurvy, beri-beri, and other dis
asses.
In fact, the Importance of the anti
corbutic factor was discovered purely
ccidentally, as result of an epidem-
, of beri-beri among the relocating
.astern nations after modern milling
lethods obtained in these countries
nd the surface layer of the rice was
amoved. When an extract of this
usk was eventually supplied the dis
ase was prevented.
Lack Of both the other types of vita
line result in a gradual wasting
way. This, in the case of the fat
,luble vitamine, is accompanied by
indness and often by lung trouble,
ut the wasting process is more grad
al, as, the system subsists for while