Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-05-05
Those Nebulous Vitamins.
l discriminating reader writes:

discriminating reader writes:
You have several times referred in
your talks (only incidentally as far as
I have observed) to 'vitamins' In
one instance you .astated. lthat they
know that thsy exist 3as a.. b. and
c. and wherein is the difference?
The propaganda vftamin literature
with which we are flooded is much
like the other promotion propaganda.
If it Is not fraudulent it should justi-
fly itself to intelligent beings I have
not seen an attempted calculation
which was not Largely nebulous. We
are told that vitamins are like cleo
tricity as to Identification. Our knowl-
edge and explanation of electricity
are not nebulous but very definite and
discriminating.
IF you would exploit this vitamin
question to the satisfaction Of the
man from Missouri your corner Of
our most favored newspaper would
be even more popular and striking
than at present-which would be very
high praise" III. E. j. r.
In order to capture the .capra of
that gentleman from the state Mark
Twain made famous I must give
away one of the secrets of the trade
our trade. When we are rather in
the air as to the nature, cause or
remedy for anything We generally
about it. If you will think this over
for a moment or two you will appre-
bend that it applies with equal truth
to scientific medicine. Quack medicine,
patent medicine, domestic or kitchen
medicine, curbstone medicine and
in the marketing Of q great many re-
ligions. Shortcut courses in six easy
lessons by mail in anything from
playing the ukulele to developing a
Commanding personality generally
hook the victim somewhere above the
tunate as to have bank account
knows how sweetly rebulous are the
Demonstrations of the grand army
of stock swindlers whose literature"
gives body and bulk to ones daily
harvest of waste paper.
We got in wrong on the vitamin
fad, we Doctors We failed to exer-
else due discrimination and accepted
without reasonable hesitancy theFex-
perimsnts Of number of laboratory
experts who worked with mice, rats.
pigeons and other lower animals.
Some Of the findings or observations
of the laboratory men might apply
to human beings II human beings
were subjected to the same feeding
and environment as the laboratory
animals, but with the exception OF
limited number Of infants artificially
fed and perhaps an occasional group
Of prisoners or other persons con-
fined in institutions which are badly
managed, there is no shortage of
yitamins in America and nobody need
worry about the vitamin content Of
his food.
cerned, it is the height Of absurpity
IN ina 0fne he candle.
rive any particular benefit from Vita
minis purporting to ~ present in
pills or other medicinal preparations.
and for that matter there is precious
little evidence to support the fancy
that any such medicines do contain
concentrated vitamins than any zone
gets in the ordinary everyday bill
Remember a few years ago how
every mineral water. all Of sud.
den. began to have radioactive"
properties! kaa nua s Wa tns srea re.
importuned to try litfle-a Very
little. indeed!-on whatever allied him
we'll radium is old stun now. 1t is
yitamins today. Have you had your
yitamins this morning? No matter.
your share unless you stop eating.
QUESTIONS ANDSA1lswERs.
re sad case q MAXINE.
4 am sixteen years old and am suf-,
ferinR with q shiny nose. Please, DR..
Brady, my nose is everiastingly
Greasy and I should be greatly obliged
To YOU IL you will give ms IA recipe
fdr asIotion for 1t. Please Up h6t print
myname in the paper-ifs YOU print
it. sign it Maxine.
Answer--It must be terrible to suf-
fer SO. TIL tell you the formula for
a good lotion, but remember. I'm Civ
ing you this conhdentially-t would
Zinc sulphate. one dram; potassium
sulphurated, one dram: rose water,
sSHske the n,ixtHfs Be Eel s4AA.
Idsub' Some son- the moss With -your