THE VITAMIN BANDWAGGON.

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 217, 20 August 1943, Page 3

THE VITAMIN BANDWAGGON.

Sir,--FPlease allow me a little space to reply to Dr, Muriel Bell’s article in your issue of July 9. What Dr. Muriel Bell states is not justified, and it looks as though she has studied a report of one of the various so called American Medical Associations, which, as we all know, is the organisation which gives the true facts of all medical treatment, whether with vitamins, drugs or surgery. We all know, even in this country, the specific effect of vitamin concentrates, and the wonderful benefits thousands of our people have derived from them. If, as Dr, Bell states, vitamins are controlled by the medical profession only, then why not the same control of aspirin, Epsom salts, patent medicines, etc., which, as most people know, are taken to excess by the average person and do more harm than good. It would be a very foolish move to deny the public an open sale of vitamins, when they read and hear so much about their use and -what good can be done with them for better health, as we all know that our vegetables, etc., are not grown under natural conditions and our daily food has a definite vitamin short.

age:

PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMIST

| (Auckland).

4 copy of this letter was submitted to Dr. Muriel Bell, whose reply follows: I would be on very unsafe ground if I quoted any but the opinions of accredited members of the medical profession in matters of this nature. The sources of my information are the publications of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, and the Council on Foods and Nutrition of the American Medical Association, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, volumes 118 and 119, 1942. These councils include men of undoubted repute, such as Cowgill, McLester and Wilder. Many quotations of similar views could be given, from the numerous medical journals that are available among the first-class medical literature at the Medical School. I am unacquainted with the literature of the medical institutes. Out of the 40 different essentials that are known to be necessary in nutrition, why pick on vitamins for intensive dosing? If "we all know the specific effect of vitamin concentrations and wonderful benefits thousands of our people have derived from them," we have yet to attain to the perception of Hippocrates, who realised that "experience is fallacious and judgment doubtful." Controlled experiments are especially necessary when man, with his susceptibility to suggestion, is the subject of th e ent. With the alleged shortage of vitamins in our vegetables, etc., presumed to occur because they are not grown under natural conditions, I have Tot in an accompanying article (see page 18).