4 VITAMINES 



apparently identical, but the animals pasturing in 

 the one put on flesh, and in the other they become 

 thin. 



It has been known for centuries that scurvy is a 

 deficiency disease ; but exactly where the deficiency 

 lies has always been uncertain. In days gone by, 

 sailing ships on long voyages were full of scurvy, the 

 crews being thoroughly incapacitated by it, and 

 many expeditions failing in consequence. When it 

 became compulsory by law to carry fresh vegetables 

 and lime or lemon juice, the disease became a thing 

 of the past. It broke out during the siege of Paris. 

 Nowadays it is very rare in adults in this country, 

 though the writer has seen one case affecting a lonely 

 man who was trying to live on his old age pension. 

 Arctic and Antarctic explorers still suffer, and both 

 Captain Scott's expeditions have given rise to cases ; 

 but Nansen found that fresh meat, even without 

 vegetables, is sufficient to prevent it ; and members 

 of Scott's and Shackleton's parties proved the 

 truth of this. Monkeys can be given scurvy by 

 feeding on stale meat. 



Much more commonly the disease is seen in young 

 infants fed upon boiled, stale, or artificially-prepared 

 milk. It is said that if the milk is bottled first and 

 only just raised to boihng point, so that no precipitate 

 is lost, scurvy does not occur. It is quite easy to 

 prevent or cure it by giving grape or orange juice 

 frequently. 



Many suggestions have been made as to the exact 

 nature of the deficiency in scurvy, the citrates, mal- 

 ates, and other alkaline salts being specially blamed ; 



