VALUE OF THE VITAMINS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 7 (Supplement)

VALUE OF THE VITAMINS.

PROGRESS OF RESEARCH. Dr. Samson Wright, of the Middlesex Hospital, Professor of Physiology in tho University of London, says he expects that important discoveries relating to the nature of the vitamins will be made in the near future. " Progress is likely to be rapid, said Dr. Wright, "The structure of vitamin 'D ' (anti-rickets) should bo elucidated in the near future. A claim to have analysed and determined the chemical composition of one constituent of vitamin 'B ' has been made by two Dutch workers, and tho position in regard to vitamin ' A ' is also hopeful. " In time the term vitamin will probably pass out of use. They are merely definite chemical substances in food, and should be studied as such. J.ho chief need at the moment is for knowledge ot tho mechanism by which particular vitamins act. We know, for example, that vitamin 'D 1 assists the absorption of calcium and phosphorus through the usual channels, but concerning vitamin ' B ' we luive no knowledge whether it is necessary to the proper working of tho heart and nervous system, or whether its action is much more complex." From the point of view of national health Dr. Wright advocated tho raising of margarine to the dietetic level of firstclass butter by tho addition of suitable quantities of vitamins " A " and " D. }fe says:—" From tho energy point of view margarine is just as good as butter, but it is deficient in these two vitamins, which are particularly important in the case of children, and of women beforo and after childbirth. I see no difficulty on tho score of cost. These vitamins are already easily obtained, and I have no doubt that the cost of production would bo substantially lowered by production on a large scale. As an indication of the small proportion which would be necessary I may mention that one thousandth of a gram of vitamin 1 D ' is sufficient to preserve 40,000 rats from rickets or (probably) 40 human beings." . Better results in tho combating of infection, writes a Morning Post correspondent, are likely to be obtained in consequence of tho success, after six years research, of Dr. I. M. Heilbron, Professor of Organic Chemistry at Liverpool University, in collaboration with Dr. R. A. Morton, also of Liverpool University, and Professor J. C. Drummond, of University College, London, in obtaining the first extract or distillation of pure vitamin Professor Karrer, of Zurich University, working by a different method, has also been similarly successful. " I hope eventually it will be possible to svnthesise vitamin ' A ' and build it in tho laboratory, and thus make it available to the medical profession, said Professor bron. " The medical profession will be able to test its exact physiological properties. The discovery will not mako much difference to the public, who can go on taking cod liver oil; but it may bo found that bv using the concentrated form of vitamin ' A ' better results are obtained." The importance of Dr. Heilbron s (liscovery, writes tho medical correspondent of the Morning Post, lies in the fact that it will now be possible to achieve tho exact effects of vitamin " A " in combating infection. Hitherto most of tins work has been conducted with cod liver oil and other fats which contain vitamin " A and vitamin "B " together. Concentrated vitamin " A " might also prove useful to administer to patients in acute infectious illnesses, provided that it could be given without harmful effects. A " MECHANICAL MOUTH." A powerful " mechanical mouth " has been perfected to aid the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in its work on Georges Banks, off the _ New England coast. This device will dive to the bottom, gulp up a sample of the sea s bed, and bring it to the surface for inspection and record. The contrivance is lowered to the ocean floor with its jaws wide open. Striking the bottom trips a catch and the jaws close with a vicious snap, imprisoning a fair lump of the sea s bed. The device is then hauled to the surface. " SHOWERS " OF FROGS. Some perfectly trustworthy observers, says an English writer, say that they have seen showers of young frogs. The more probable explanation of the myriads of frogs which have sometimes appeared after a downpour of rain is that the baby frogs which arc moisture-loving animals, have been hiding under leaves and stones, and have emerged to enjoy the wet. It has been suggested that 'the frogs may he lifted from a pond by a whirlwind, but this is improbable.