CHAPTER IV 

 THE ANTISCOEBUTIC VITAMINE VITAMINE C 



THE CHEMISTRY AND THE NATURE OF VITAMINE C 



We owe to Hoist and Frolich (I.e. 359) our first knowledge on this 

 subject. They showed that fresh potatoes, cabbage, dandelion, 

 carrots, raspberry juice, lemon and sour dock juice contain this 

 vitamine. They observed the interesting fact that the various anti- 

 scorbutics differ markedly in the stability of the vitamine present, 

 evident on heating, storage and drying. As to the reason for this, 

 we are still in the dark. We do not know if in these cases we are 

 dealing with different or with the same substances, and yet the varied 

 behavior towards external factors is not necessarily due to the pres- 

 ence of distinct substances. The ' different combinations of the 

 vitamine and the characteristics of the juice may be responsible for 

 this behavior. 



It may be said in general that antiscorbutics exhibit less activity 

 when boiled than when in the natural condition; furthermore, heating 

 to 110 or 120C. is harmful, even more so than boiling at 100C. 

 It is not only the heating that exerts a harmful effect, but also the 

 incidental drying, which is in accord with the experience gained in 

 the study of human scurvy. According to Hoist and Frolich, the 

 relative moisture of the drying chamber plays a part, since the anti- 

 scorbutic activity of potatoes, carrots, dandelion and cabbage is 

 more quickly lost at room temperature than in an incubator at 37C. 

 The dried dandelion, unlike cabbage, is completely inactivated. 

 Vegetable juices behave differently; for example, cabbage juice loses 

 its activity when heated for 10 minutes at 60, 70 or 100C.; 

 similarly, when it is stored at ordinary temperatures (in the presence 

 of preservatives) or in the ice-box. In the next chapter we shall 

 speak of the effect of the cooking on the antiscorbutic properties of 

 various foodstuffs. 



Lemon juice behaves quite differently from the above mentioned 

 substances, as does also milk. The former may be heated to 110C. 

 for 1 hour without any noticeable loss of activity. Now this juice 

 contains 7 per cent citric acid, and Hoist and Frolich held that 



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