VITAMIN C 161 



a slight but theoretically interesting storage of vitamin C in guinea pigs. 

 Four groups of about 25 animals each were continued from the age 

 of one month until death on a basal diet adequate in every respect 

 except for vitamin C, and supplemented for 4 weeks only during the 

 period of most active growth with orange juice in amounts of 3, 6, 

 12, and 24 cubic centimeters per guinea pig daily. By observing the 

 signs of scurvy quantitatively, together with survival periods, growth 

 curves, and general behavior of the animals, it was possible to judge 

 closely when scurvy occurred and to what degree in each group. The 

 group which had received the smallest amount of vitamin C showed 

 an earlier loss in weight and a slightly higher average "scurvy score" 

 than those receiving the larger amounts. With increasing dosage up 

 to 12 cubic centimeters, there was an increase in the average survival 

 period, but beyond this point increasing dosage appeared to have no 

 effect. And at most the guinea pig seems able to store no more vitamin 

 C than he uses in a short time. The difference between the rat and the 

 guinea pig in regard to the storage of vitamin C thus appears to be 

 quantitative rather than qualitative. The relatively small degree of 

 storage of vitamin C in the body of the guinea pig as compared with 

 the storage of vitamin A in the body of the rat is not unlike the relative 

 difference between the storage of fuel in the form of carbohydrate and 

 of fat in the human body. 



Vitamin C in Nutrition and Health 



The presence of vitamin C in certain organs of animals which ap- 

 parently do not require it in their food, no less than the characteristic 

 symptoms which develop in other animals following deprivation of this 

 vitamin, points to a distinct need of it for metabolic processes. Many 

 of the studies which have been reported in the literature on the effects 

 of vitamin C deficiency are of little value, however, on account of the 

 fact that the basal diets employed were markedly deficient in other 

 factors as well as in vitamin C, thus making it impossible to attribute 

 the findings to lack of this vitamin alone. 



As is the case of vitamin B, and as will be shown later of the other 

 vitamins, vitamin C may be taken in the food in sufficient amounts to 

 prevent the development of the typical symptoms of the deficiency 

 disease, yet not to supply the full needs of the body for the vitamin. 



In such cases there may develop, especially in the growing child, 

 the condition described by Hess as latent or subacute scurvy and there 

 may also result a more or less serious injury to the teeth. Since human 

 dietaries are not likely to be completely lacking in vitamin C, the 



