VITAMIN C

25 February 1950

journal article
research article
Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in JAMA

Vol. 142 (8) , 563-565
https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1950.72910260002009

Abstract

DIETARY PRACTICES AND SCURVY The principle of preventing scurvy by the use of certain foods had to be learned repeatedly in early human experience. Primitive peoples seldom had a choice of orange juice, grapefruit, tomato juice, cantaloupe or strawberries for breakfast, but nearly all tribal groups knew that fresh foods were necessary for their health and survival. Practices varied from eating thistle tops in the Gobi Desert area to consuming water extracts of evergreen leaves in forested sections of North America, Europe and Asia. Scurvy, in the classic sense,¹is no longer a major disease, but severe cases are encountered occasionally in nearly all medical centers, and many mild cases remain undetected or are confused with mild cases of rickets. There is good evidence that moderate deficiencies impair health without giving rise to the classic signs that result in a diagnosis of scurvy. Therefore, a reliable intake of vitamin

Keywords

VITAMIN C

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:

The Gingival Manifestations of Avitaminosis C, with Especial Consideration of the Detection of Early Changes by Biomicroscopy
The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 1942