FOOD AND DIETARIES 



109 



very- frequent among improperly nourished children (see Fig. 35); it 

 can be prevented through suitable diet containing Vitamin A. 



Water-soluble Vitamin B can be extracted from the outer coats of 

 rice and other grains. It is present also in yeast, cabbage, onion, 

 spinach, tomatoes, nuts, milk, and other foods. Animals fed upon 

 materials lacking Vitamin B develop a very painful inflammation of 

 the nerves, a disease found in parts of Asia and known as beriberi. 

 It can be avoided and cured by diet containing Vitamin B. 



Fic. 35. The importance of suitable diet 



The child in these pictures was suffering from defective nutrition. In the first picture 



It weighed 14 pounds 4 ounces. The second picture was taken eleven weeks later 



after expert treatment, when the child weighed 17 pounds 15 ounces. Photographs by 



Dr. Henry Dwight Chapin, at the Speedwell Society 



As has long been known, sailors and others who go for a long time 

 without fresh food are liable to a sick condition called " .scurvy." But 

 it is only recently that we have learned that this condition results from 

 the absence of a second water-soluble known as Vitamin C. This is 

 found in oranges, lemons, tomatoes, fresh lettuce, and cabbage, as well 

 as in other fresh fruits and vegetables. 



There are many unsolved problems in this field, but we already 

 know enough to realize the importance of insuring to every person a 

 v/ell-balanced diet containing all the essentials. 



