Evening star., 1941-04-08
Explosives Ingredient
May Be Utilized as
An Iron vitamin
Scientists Propose 1t
Be Used in Fortified Breed;
Treating Of Sugar Urged
BY THOMAS f. HENRY,


in explosives, may be used to put
iron in the blood and brains of the
American people in the war emer-
gency.
1t has been known for 90 years as
a substance which could be COM
pounded with nitric acid to form an
explosive especially suited to de-
tonating caps. Experiments during
the last few months at the Rookie
feller Institute for Medical Research
and the Anheuser-Busch Labora-
tories here have shown that it may
be of vital Importance to human
life,
The substance is nositol. 1t is
found throughout the plant and
animal kingdoms. Apparently it is
hitherto unknown member of the
B complex of Vitamins. Its effects
on rats we're described to the Amer
lean Chemical Society today by Drs.
P. L. Pavcek and H. NJ. Baum of
the AnheuSer-BuSCh Laboratories.
They proposed that it be used in
the new fortified bread now being
sponsored by the Government. In
addition to its own nutrltiVe virtues
it forms a snow white compound
with iron. This may be the answer,
they said, to the problem which has
arisen in the campaign-hoW to put
iron in flour without affecting the
color.
Its Function Is Obscure.
Whether there is any real def
cheney of it in human diets is un-
known. Its function, per Sc, in the
nutrition of man is obscure. OFF,
hand, DR.. Pavcek explained, it would
seem unlikely that any one with
enough to eat is not getting enough
of it. His rat experiments have
shown, however, that these animals
require approximately 1000 = fold
more OF it to remain in good health
than of the better known vitamins
in the B complex.
The analyses have shown, DR.. Paw
eek said, that it is present minute
amounts in heart, muscle and brain
This raises the question as to
whether it may not be an essential
sugar, necessary to feed parts of
the body which cannot utilize other
forms obtained in the diet,
Last October Dr. D. w. Woolley of
the Rockefeller Institute isolated
inoSitol from liver and showed that
1t prevented the loss of hair in mice.
When it is taken completely out
of the diet of these experimental
animals all the hair falls out. In
rats, however, the loss of hair seems
to be limited to the region immedi-
ately around the eyes so that the
animals present a "spectacled eye"
appearance.
No Evidence on Human Badness.
While there have been some spec
ulations as to the effects of the sub
stance on human badness, there is
no evidence that it plays any role
whatsoever. But the effects in ami
mails are suggestive.
DrS. Pavcek and Baum also found
inoSltol functions as a factor in the
growth of the rat. On diets con-
tanning the sugar the gain in weight
over a fixed period was 25 to SO per
cent greater than on control diets
from which it was eliminated. This
increase in growth also had been
observed by DR.. Woolley in his exper-
imentS with mice.
1nositol is present in large amounts
in corn where it is equipped with
phosphoric acid. This easily enters
into chemical combination with !
iron.
1t seems likely, the two chemists |
said, that the use of inositol in bread /.
fortifcation will far overshadow its
Importance as a constituent of ex-
ploSives.
Fertilization of Sugar.
Possible fortifcation of sugar, as
well as bread, with the nerve
vitanin, thiamin chloride, was pro-
posed by DR.. r. r. Williams, Bell /
Telephone Co. chemist, who first |.
produced the substance Syntheticauy |
seven years ago.
DR.. Williams doubted whether it |
will be possible to get sufficient |
amounts Of the vitamin in the
normal diet of the American people |
unless this is done.
1t may be, he stressed, that the .
increasing use of sugar is the major .
defect of the national diet which is
undermining the health of the /
people. 1t has increased enormously |
In recent years.
THE annual per capita consump- |
tion," DR.. Williams said, now is
about 100 pounds. One third of this /
is in the form of candy, soft drinks /
and ice cream eaten between meals |
outside the home. It is often reSpon-
sible for the impaired appetites of
children. It's aggregate effect in |
curtailing the normal diet of the
people should be considered.
Sugar is the form in which about |
20 per cent of the calories in the |
diet is obtained 1t contains abb
solutely no vitamins. Vitamins may |
be added once we know how. 1t is
doubtful If the optimal amount of |
thiamin can be obtained without |
fortified sugar"
Dangers in the Plan.
But if this is done, he stressed. !
care should be taken not to stimulate |
the consumption of sugar by adver-
tising candy and ice cream as health |
foods. 1t would be much better if |
the thiamin could be obtained in
meat, vegetables and eggs.
The scientist who is more re-
sponsible than any other one man
for making the vitamin-now
stressed as an important factor in |
keeping up the morale of the people |
in mergency-available in sufficient |
quantities, warned the chemists of |
possible grave dangers arising from
the fortified foods program.
He approved added vitamins and
minerals to bread, but only in the |
nEC NV