274 ANlSrUAIi REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1942 



these vitamins in irradiated foods are available today. These vita- 

 mins have not been synthesized as yet, at least on a commercial scale. 

 Certain individuals have claimed that they have synthesized concen- 

 trates of these vitamins, but they are not available generally. 



Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, was the first synthetic vitamin to be 

 introduced commercially. It is used in the treatment and prevention 

 of scurvy, some types of dental caries, and other disorders. It is 

 available on the market in various pharmaceutical forms, and is put 

 into beverages, confectionery, and certain special foods. 



When interest was aroused in vitamin C a number of years ago, 

 a little synthetic vitamin C was shown to a leading biochemist in an 

 eastern university and he was asked, ""Wliat good do you think this 

 will have?" His remarks, based upon his work in biochemistry over 

 a good many years, were as follows : 



I think that it will find a place on the mnseum shelves of a number of 

 universities, particularly of the biochemical departments. I think a few bio- 

 chemists and a few pharmacologists will be interested in examining it. I do 

 not think there will be any business in it. There is plenty of vitamin C 

 available naturally in fruits, particularly in citrus fruits. 



In contrast to this the United States Tariff Commission reports 

 that in 1940 17 tons of vitamin C were produced synthetically in this 

 country. From a reliable source comes the information that very 

 shortly there will be 80 to 100 tons of vitamin C synthesized in this 

 country annually. 



In figure 1 is shown what happened to the price of vitamin C from 

 the time natural ascorbic acid became commercially available in 1934 

 at something like $213 per ounce to the present when synthetic 

 ascorbic acid may be had for $1.65 an ounce. Figure 1 also shows the 

 tremendous drop in price when synthetic vitamin C first became 

 available in 1937. Vitamin Bi or thiamine is used in the prevention 

 and treatment of beriberi, of lack of appetite in children, and of 

 neuritis of various types. It is available in the various pharma- 

 ceutical forms, as well as in medicinal foods. Moreover, a new use 

 for vitamin Bi has developed which was not anticipated until re- 

 cently. It is used in the enrichment of flour of which it is reliably 

 stated that 40 percent of the flour used in our homes and 35 percent 

 of the bakery flour used in this country is being enriched with vitamin 

 Bi today. Each pound of that flour must contain not less than 1.66 

 mg. of vitamin Bi. 



Vitamin Bi was not mtroduced into flour without encountering 

 difficulties. One such difficulty is illustrated by the case of one of our 

 good Jewish friends. Wlien he heard that synthetic vitamin Bi was 

 being put in bread, he was greatly worried and inquired whether 

 Jewish people might eat this bread. In other words, was it "kosher." 



