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SCIENCE PROGRESS 



beriberi in the case of the water-soluble vitamine. A third 

 vitamine, sometimes called water-soluble C, is also important 

 for maintenance of health. A prolonged deficiency (14-16 

 months for man) in this vitamine leads to the development of 

 scurvy : water-soluble C is therefore better known as the anti- 

 scurvy or anti-scorbutic vitamine. It must be remembered, 

 however, that a deficiency in any of these vitamines in the 

 diet may lead to a depression of the vitality and a lowered 

 resistance to infection for some time before any definite symp- 

 toms of scurvy appear. In young animals it has been shown 

 that a diet deficient in either fat-sol. A or in the anti-scurvy 

 vitamine, or both, results in the development of defective teeth. ^ 

 2. Properties of Vitamines and their Distribution among 

 Foodstuffs. — These vitamines have not yet been isolated, but 

 their chemical and physical properties have been investigated, 

 and the latter throw some light on what may be expected 

 when food containing them is stored or subjected to heat. 

 The following table shows a comparison of the three accessory 

 food factors with regard to stability under different conditions. 



TABLE I 

 Showing the Principal Properties of the Three Accessory Food Factors 



