The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1940-05-02
Child Health Day Is
Celebrated Now

May Day is supposed to be a day
in which we give particular interes,
to the health of children. But in order
to have healthy children, near 49,
| days must be used as May Day OIL
| Children's Day.
Several factors in the diet of child.
| rem as well as adults are essential
| for health and life itself. One sub
| stance is definitely required for health
and life and yet this part Of our die,
has no recognizable food value.
1t has been shown by numerous ex-
periments that animal die when vita
minis are not included in their diet
There has been so much publicity
with reference to vitamins. that II
is thought well to inform the public
as to the true affect of these vita
minis as well as to a common source
Of each on. 3
Vitamin A Is necessary to build
cells for the body. A lack Of this
vitamin causes q poor development
particularly OF tho skin and glands,
A dry skin and even hardening OF
the tissues may result. Such changes
weaken resdstanos to germs. Carotene
found IN green leaves and yellow
colored root vegetable. as carrots and
sweet potatoes as we'll as whole milk.
butter. cheese and eggs are our best
sources of this vitamin.
Vitamin b the a~ntineurittc or am
tjberi+beri vitamin Is found in rice
polishings. yeast, wheat germ Of whole
wheat and milk. eggs. and liver also
contain q fair amount Of this vitamin.
This vitamin is necessary for brain
and nerve growth. A common diet Of
these foods contain all that is .neces-
sary.
Vitamin c, the antiscorbutic Vita
min. guards against scurvy. 1t Is
chiefly a plant product being found
especially in citrus fruits, tomatoes,
and raw cabbage. From the latest
proof it seems that Vitamin c is nee
essary to have the correct substance
that joins the cells of our bodies. in
other words, the plaster between the
bricks. A deficiency Of this vitamin
may be indicated by the blood passing
out from the c~apillaries into the sur
rounding tissues. This Is noted par
ticularly in the gums, and around the
It may cause such a painful
condition in babies, until they
when moved. It is for this reason that
we advocate giving orange on tomato
Juice to babies rather early in life
Vitamin c is destroyed II foods are
in open vessels.
Vitamin D, (the sunshine vitamin)
prevents ricketts,. This is a disease in
the bones do not properly de-
Ergosterol. which is found in
the skin of all animals, is changed
to Vitamin D by direct exposure of
the skin to sunshine. Vitamin d is
to regulate the relation OF
calcium to phosphate in the body. And
it seems very reasonable. that too
great an area of the body exposed to
the sunshine fol too long a time, as
boys going without a shirt all day,
may do far more harm than good.
Later in life they may have defective
bone structure. Milk, butter, vege-
and fruit contain some of this
victamin but the best source for
babies is cod liver oil.
Vitamin E, found most abundantly
in lettuce leaves and in the germ OF
wheat, is necessary to fertility.
Vitamin G appears to be a lacto-
one of the yellow pigments
found in plants. Lean meats are rich
liver and beef kidney are
better. Milk, eggs and yeast are
good sources. Nicotine acid is
lsed as a medical substitute for this
This vitamin is necessary to
,revent pellagra.
Other vitamins are being studied
'ut their exact nature has not yet
been determined.
Yours very sincerely,
l.. H. EUBANKS, M. d.,