The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-07-22
v|TAMINE SECRET
SOUGHT IN CORN
Experiments With Growing Grain
Indicate ChlorophyII Is Nee
eSSary to Production.
COD LIVER IS RICHEST SOURCE
Experts Recommend Cod Liver Oil az
Part of Daily Diet of Infants, Be-
cause of Its Power to Pre-
vent and Cure Ricketts,.

New York.T..e analysis of corn in
the seed and at various stages of
growth, in the course of experiments
by Dr. Benjamin Harrow and others
/ at the College of Physicians and Sur
| geOns, has indicated that the vita
| mines are either produced by the sun
rs chlorophyll or that the production
of vitamines depends on chlorophyll.
''The seed corn does not gain in its
vitamine content when it sprouts" he
said. The yitamines seem to be the
same in number. But as it shoots up
and begins TO turn green, the vitamines
increase rapidly"
SO far it is believed that vita
nally by plants alone, and are not to
be found in soil or non-organic COM
pounds or in living things except as
the result of vegetable food which con-
tains them. This is hard to reconcile
with the fact that the greatest known
concentration of vitamines is in the
liver Of the cod which lives on an
exclusive fish diet. CLAIMS and other
sea animals on which the cod lives,
however, probably obtain from sea
vegetation the vitamines which they
pass on to the cod Much of this veg
citation, however, receives little or no
sunlight on account of its depth, so
that the different types of vitamines
may be originated in different meth
DDS
While cod-liver oil is the richest Of
all things in Vitamine A and is rec
commended by Doctor Harrow and his
associates as part Of the daily diet
Of infants, because of its power to
prevent and cure rickets. Doctor Har-
row, Dr.. Alfred f. Hess and other
workers on this subject are doubtful
whether it is the vitamine which cures
the ricketts,.
Cause Of Ricketts, Obscure.
ssThe doubt is due to the fact that |
ricketts, occurs among infants on wide |
variation Of diets, including many diets
well supplied with Vitamine A." he |
said 1T has also been shown that |
the disease is caused by some disturb
ance in the proportion of calcium and
in the food Of the infants.
These are the two principal bone-mak-
ers and there is Il shortage of phoS-
phOruS in the case Of child with
ricketts,. The sunlight seems to pro
duce this phosphorus. Cod-liver oil in
restores the balance and
cures the disease But it is very like
ly that there is some other factor in
the cod-liver oil rather than Vitamine
A, which does this. In our laboratory
and in many others researches are be-
ing made to identify this agent in cod
liver oil. There are various substances
in the oil which are little understood
at present. 1t may prove to be Vita
mine A or new vitamine, but it may
be something of another nature.
son the other hand, it is known
that cOd-liver Oil is a perfect specific
against ricketts,, which is unfortunate
y very prevalent disease. Orange
Juice is given to infants as part of
heir daily diet for the prevention of
scurvy, and cod-Iiyer oil should be
given to every infant in the same
way. 1t is unpleasant to adults, but
infants become exceedingly fond of
t."
DR.. Casimir Funk, who discovered
he vitamines, denied that there was
my advantage in a large consumption
# vitamines, and said that the public
vas not benefited by the propaganda
O sell certain foods on the grounds
hat they were rich in these factors.
Man cannot live without mini
num supply. but the average Ameri-
an gets plenty Of all types in the
yerage diet" he said.
100000 Would Eliminate It,
On the value of cod-liver oil against
lckets, Doctor Hess wrote.
"There are approximately 125,000
hildren in New York city between the
ges Of three and fifteen months, the
eriod of greatest susceptibility to
ickets. II we estimate generously
1at the families of one-third to one
narter of these children are unable r
, purchase cod-Iiver oil, and if we
gree that the development of ricketts, I
lay be prevented by giving a tea :
ooonful three times a day, then at the
resent cost ricketts, could be practi- c
ally abolished in this city by the ex- :
enditure of about 100000 a year. !.
his is b,lt one Of many instances in l.