320 ASCORBIC ACID 



ascorbic acid does^^- -^^- 288-295 qj. ^jQgg not^- i^"- 296-298 have any influence on 

 calcium metabolism. Ruskin-^^ - ^*"' has suggested that an intimate relation 

 exists between ascorbic acid and calcium and that calcium is probably 

 absorbed from the intestine as calcium ascorbate. Daniels et al}°^ found no 

 relation between the ingestion of 2.7 to 12.5 mg. of ascorbic acid and cal- 

 cium retention per kilogram in children. Henry and Kon^"- found no effect 

 of an addition of 2 mg. daily of ascorbic acid on the retention of calcium 

 in rats kept on a diet low in calcium. Mallon and Lord^**^ observed that 

 addition of 5 ml. of lemon juice to young growing rats maintained on a 

 diet low in calcium caused no increase or decrease in calcium retention. 

 Fraser^"* found no evidence of aggravation of ascorbic acid deficiency in 

 monkeys by superimposing a calcium deficiency upon it. The symptoms of 

 vitamin C deficiency actually appeared to be delayed in animals suljjected 

 to the combined deficiency of the two factors. In histological studies of 

 Frazier's animals, Tomlinson-" found the changes very similar to those 

 observed in the group with ascorbic acid deficiency only. However, hemor- 

 rhages did not occur quite so frequently and when present were usually not 

 so extensive. The effects of excess calcium on the onset of deficiency symp- 

 toms with diets lacking ascorbic acid have not been reported but would be 

 of considerable interest. 



Lust and Klocman^"^ found a positive calcium balance in human scurvy 

 and a negative balance in the healing stage. Hojer'^ suggested the following 

 as an explanation of the phenomenon: "In the early stages of scurvy a 

 bone is formed which is calcified, but quantitatively as well as qualitatively 

 inferior. The resorption of the old bone seems to proceed normally. The 



-88 G. Toverud, /. Biol. Chem. 58, 583 (1923). 



-89 B. W. Fairbanks and H. H. Mitchell, J. Nutrition 11, 551 (1936). 



290 J. C. Aub, /. Am. Med. Assoc. 109, 1276 (1937). 



2" H. Lucke and E. Heckmann, Arch. Exptl. Pathol. Pharmakol. 189, 87 (1938). 



292 H. Lucke and J. Wolf, Arch. Exptl. Pathol. Pharmakol. 189, 628 (1938). 



293 C. S. Lanford, /. Biol. Chem. 130, 87 (1939). 



294 C. S. Lanford, /. Nutrition 23, 293 (1942). 



295 M. L. Shepherd, I. G. Macy, H. A. Hunscher, and F. C. Hummel, J. Pediat. 16, 

 704 (1940). 



296 M. Goettsch and K. M. Key, Quart. J. Pharmacol. Exptl. Therap. 1, 168 (192S). 



297 H. Kapp and A. Schetty, Biochem. Z. 290, 58 (1937). 



298 E. N. Todhunter and W. Brewer, Am. J. Physiol. 130, 310 (1940). 



299 S. L. Ruskin, Am. J. Digest. Diseases 5, 408 (1938). 



''"' S. L. Ruskin and R. Jonnard, Am. J. Digest. Diseases 5, 676 (1938). 



301 A. L. Daniels, G. J. Everson, O. E. Wright, M. F. Deardorff, and F. L Scoular, 



J. Nutrition 14, 317 (1937). 

 ^«2 K. M. Henry and S. K. Kon, Biochem. J. 33, 1652 (1939). 

 ^"3 M. G. Mallon and D. J. Lord, J. Am. Dietct. Assoc. 18, 303 (1942). 

 ■'*" H. F. Fraser, Public Health Repts (U . S.) 57, 959 (1942). 

 3" F. Lust and L. Klocman, Jahrb. Kinderheilk 75, 663 (1912). 



