The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-13
ANYWAY vITAMIN B. PROMOTES NORMAL UTILIZATION OF
 STARCH AND gTJGAR


 A physician distinguished for his work in the field of diabetes re- marks in a personal conimnunica- tion that he has not found that vitamin B reduces the dose of in- sulin required to keep the diabetes patient sugar-free, but his Obser- vation has been limited to casual trials of the vitainin B. treatment in few cases. Yet this physician advises his patients to take daily certain tablets containing vitamin B.compley. Just why, he does not make clear; presumably because he believes the necessary dietary re- strictions required for successful treatment of diabetes lower the daily intake of vitamin B below the level necessary to maintain health and vigor.
 suspect this good doctor is la boring un6cr a rnisapprehension which is too common among physi- clans In this country--namely, that the dictun of the A. M. A. about any new medical problem Is so because 1t bears the official stamp. So many, many times the A. M A, dictum, although vehemently set forth in hot blood, has proved in due time to have ,een wrong--and so many, many times the master minds run ming the A. M. A. have hedged and reversed the hasty false verdict without any formal acknowledg- ment of the error--that only a nice ea5y-golng doctor with a not too critical m!nd can take the A. M. A. dicta at face value.
 The reason why suspect the good doctor Is a bit bamboozled is that the good doctor informs me that a certain brand of medicina Ca vitan1in B-complex concentrate) which enjoys approval of the A. M. A, Is in his opinion the best for diabetes patients because 1t is of high vitamil B potency and 1t is economical for the patient to buy. That impression has evidently been drummed into the good doctors head by the constant reiteration of the potency of the medicine in the official organ of the A. M. A.
 On actual analysis, however, 1t appears that when compared with another brand of vitamin B-com- plex concentrate which does not en- joy approval" of the A. M. A., the medicine preferred by the good docto' costs his patient, unit for unit, nearly twice as much; and as to yitamin potency, that is a mat ter of biological assay in any case --it makes no whit of difference whose brand 1t may be, if 1t is b.ologically standardized at so manly units per gram or dose.
 Tn some instances the seal of acceptance" of the A. M. A. may mean something and be worth what It costs-what 1t costs the pur- chaser of the medicine or other product. In other instances, as la the one described, it Is not only superfuous but an unjustifiable ex- pense which the luckless consumer has to pay.
 Today, perhaps many laymen and many doctors, too. may not know, when a medicine or food purports to contain a given amount of this or that vitamin you may rest as- sured the amount of vitamin Is really there, no matter who the maker or vendor of the product may be--for the U. s. government keep close watch on these things and promptly cracks down on any one who tries to receive the public in that way.
 QUESTION X ANSWERS
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 I hope pr. Brady is buying inc proved real estate with the stamp he approprlf tes wrote him three weeks ago inclosing twenty-five cents in stamps and never had a reply. tAronymous).
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