586 voegtlin: role of vitamines in nutrition 



foods to prevent an outbreak of scurvy or beri-beri. The average 

 mixed diet is composed of animal food, which, with few excep- 

 tions (meat fat), is relatively rich in vitamine, and vegetable 

 food. The latter may contain sufficient vitamines (legumes) 

 or may be relatively deficient in this respect. 



FACTORS WHICH TEND TO REDUCE THE VITAMINE CONTENT OF THE 



DIET 



The food supply of the human race is, however, subjected to 

 various changes which may lead to more or less radical changes 

 in the nutritive value and availability of certain foods. The 

 trend of modern civilization, leading to the concentration of the 

 population in large cities away from the source of food produc- 

 tion, has strongly influenced the methods of food production and 

 with it also the composition of some foods. This whole ques- 

 tion was discussed in an excellent address by Prof. L. B. Mendel 

 before the Second Pan-American Scientific Congress, held in 

 Washington last December. It remains for me only to point 

 out the changes in the, food supply which have affected the 

 vitamine content of our diet. We can state without exaggeration 

 that this country has led the world in the introduction on a 

 large scale of modern methods of food production, preservation, 

 and conservation. A number of industries have seen radical 

 changes in modern times. I have only to refer to the develop- 

 ment of the canning industry, the packing houses, and the great 

 cereal mills, in order to illustrate this point. These changes, 

 together with increased transportation facilities, have resulted 

 in a wonderful change of our whole economic life. Whereas, 

 people a hundred years ago used to live largely on food raised 

 in this country, the market basket of today is made up of food 

 coming from all parts of the world. The diet of the population 

 of larger cities, and to a lesser extent that of the rural districts, 

 has been subjected to great changes. Nowadays, we are able to 

 purchase all the year around foods which formerly were only 

 available at certain seasons. New foods have appeared on the 

 market. Without these changes in food supply, food produc- 



