ARTICLES 6ii 



by Prof. L. Hill, who discovered that the meat was always 

 served as a stew, the vegetables were added, and the whole 

 cooked for about 5 hours. This circumstance was considered 

 by Prof. Hill as the explanation of the outbreak. 



A second example is afforded by an outbreak of scurvy 

 which broke out in a labour battalion in France between May 

 and July 191 8, and in which 142 cases of pronounced scurvy 

 were diagnosed. In this case there was a ration of fresh vege- 

 tables equal to 8 oz. daily ; these were cooked with the meat 

 and boiled for a period of at least 3 hours. In the opinion of 

 the medical officer by whom the circumstances of the outbreak 

 were thoroughly investigated this fact was an important 

 contributory cause. 



More recently, an outbreak of severe scurvy was reported 

 in the University Kinderklinik, Vienna. At the time of the 

 outbreak there was no corresponding occurrence of scurvy in 

 the general population. Dr. Harriette Chick, writing of this 

 outbreak, says : "In the present case the allowance of vege- 

 tables up to two months before the first case appeared was more 

 than 200 gm. daily, which is not less than is usual in many 

 private households during the winter, and may be expected to 

 prove adequate for prevention {i.e. of scurvy). A similar 

 ration, 250 gm. daily fresh vegetables, is a common ration for 

 soldiers on active service, and instances must be numerous in 

 which this amount has failed temporarily without appearance 

 of scurvy in so short a period as eight weeks. In the present 

 case, therefore, we are forced to conclude that, while the supply 

 of vegetables was adequate, the supply of anti-scorbutic was 

 defective." On further inquiry it was found that, as is usual 

 in Vienna, the vegetables were all twice cooked before serving, 

 first being boiled until soft, and then fried with flour and fat 

 before serving. In the soups, the vegetables were also cooked 

 for at least three or four hours. In normal times, the additional 

 milk, fresh meat, and fruit consumed must counteract the 

 deficiency from this destructive method of cooking ; but, when 

 these sources fail, as in the case quoted above, for a considerable 

 time, outbreaks of disease may be expected. 



It is, therefore, a safe general rule that, so far as its vitamine 

 content is concerned, the less food is cooked the better. The 

 heating involved in cooking should be not more than sufficient to 

 sterilise and soften the food ; as a rule, the natural flavours 

 will be the more apparent by this means. Over-cooking and 

 " keeping hot " should be avoided, especially in the case of 

 fruit and vegetables. 



In times of scarcity of butter, milk or animal fats, salads, 

 and lightly cooked green vegetables, and also carrots, should 

 be increased in the diet, together with fat fish (herring, mackerel, 



