Evening star., 1953-09-11
Soldiers Burning Feet
Luid to Vitumin Lack
Pontothenic Acid Aids Cure
Of Wartime Complaint
By Thomos R. Henry

The weird burning feet symptom
Of war may be related closely to a. de-
f1ciency in the diet of one OF the most
obscure Of the vitaminS, pantothenic
acid.
This is indicated by recent studies,
according to a review of the possible
functions of this vitamin in human diet
issued by the Nutrition Foundation.
The disease was particularly marked
among Japanese prisoners of war. Pa
tients complained of severe shooting
pains which appeared to be aggravated
by any exertion OF warmth and to be re-
lieved by cold. In the more advanced
forms. victims are extremely sensitive
to such minor stimuli as floor vibra-
tions. The pains then become estab-
liShed above the knee, and even the
hands and arms may be affected. There
is never any wasting Of muscles or
paralysis.
Dramatic Improvements.
Some dramatic improvements, the re-
view points out, have been achieved
with pantothenic acid. while addition
to the diet of other vitamins Of the
B complex has had no effect, The
condition often is improved by putting
the victims on q well-balanced diet
which Is sure to contain considerable
amounts Of the vitamin.
This is part Of the evidence brouHht
out for the conclusion that pantothenic
acid Is an essential Of the diet although
its exact functions still are unknown.
1t was hailed once as q preventive Of
hair-graying. Claims in this field have
not been upheld, although some un-
predictable effect has been noted. There
Is some evidence that the obscure
vitamin increases the capacity Of the
body to adjust to stress, such as would
be caused by immersion in cold water.
Until more is known about it, the re-
view concludes. it should be included
in the diet to about the same extent AZ
NICOTINE acid. 1t is found in some de-
gree in about all foods containing the
B complex, and an actual deficiency on
balanced diet would be very rare.
Sunlight and Milk.
Milk exposed in glass bottles to sun
light develops peculiar flavor which
long has been bugbear of dairymen.
1t is due, according to a report Of
Pennsylvania State College experiments
made to the American Association for
the Advancement of Science here, to
the effects of visible light waves on
methionine, one of the amino acids es-
Sential to life, and riboflavin, one of
the vitamins.
In the course of the reaction, accord
ing to the reports of Drs. Stuart Patton
and Donald v. JosephSon, a great deal
of the ribof1avin itself and the ascorbic
acid, or Vitamin C, in the milk are de-
Stroyed. Thus the problem has i'm
portant economic and nutritional
implications.
Exposed to Sunlight.
The two Pennsylvania experimenters
found that the same flavor could be
produced by exposing pure sample
of methionine to full sunlight, and that
it was greatly increased when an addi-
tional amount of the amino acid was
added to skim milk. The flavor was
greatly increased when a little ribo-
f1avin was added to the mixture. 1t
was expected that this would happen.
since the vitamin Is about the only
substance in skim milk with important
ght-absorbing qualities.
Milk Is rich in several Of the essential
amino acids, all containing sulfur. All
these were tested, with and without
ribofavin, to determine II the peculiar
flavor could be detected. ALI these
experiments failed.
Apparently. they report, the direct
action of sunlight results in the forma-
ton of a new compound. the exact
nature of which is unknown. The
flavor will not be produced II none of
the specific amino acid is present. It
cannot be produced by action of sun
light on ribofiavin alone.