BIOLOGICAL SIGNIKIGANCE 

 OF VITAMINS 



C. A. ELVEHJEM, professor of biochemistry, college of agri- 

 culture, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN; WILLARD GIBBS MEDALIST 



F 



PREVIOUS to the 20th century, thousands, and more likely 

 millions, of people suffered and died because of a lack of 

 scientific knowledge about vitamins or of an insufficient supply of 

 foods rich in these essential nutrients. During the first three decades 

 of this century, about a dozen vitamins not only have been identified, 

 isolated, and synthesized, but manufacturing methods have been 

 perfected to the point at which some vitamins can be supplied at a 

 cost relatively lower than the cost of calories and proteins. Most nutri- 

 tionists agree that there are more vitamins to be isolated and better 

 methods of synthesis to be developed, but I wonder how many have 

 given thought to the possibility that the uncontrolled production of 

 synthetic nutrients may lead to sufficient economic disturbances in 

 agricultural production to aflfect the health of the people of the world 

 adversely. 



It is unwise, especially for a biochemist, to make any predictions 

 of future developments. The field of vitamins, however, has now de- 

 veloped to the point at which it is possible to look ahead in light of past 

 experiences. 



The early workers on vitamins had a point of view or philoso- 

 phy quite different from that held by present investigators. Many of 

 the pioneers were motivated by the single purpose of alleviating human 



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