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The History of Scurvy and Vitamin C

1987; American Medical Association; Volume: 257; Issue: 13 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1001/jama.1987.03390130133051

1538-3598

Robert B. McGandy,

Vitamin C and Antioxidants Research

Until only 40 or so years ago, the histories of medicine and nutrition were tightly interwoven. Modern biologic chemistry evolved from the discoveries that a number of major diseases of both humans and domestic animals were the result of deficiencies of substances in the diet and unrelated to infectious agents or to food-borne toxins. Understanding of the metabolic roles of these essential vitamins and minerals formed the foundation of contemporary biochemistry. Now, aside from the continuing mortality associated with protein-energy malnutrition and famine (the latter as much the result of politically determined distribution of foods as of local crop failure), only the retelling of history reminds us of the appalling toll from the classic nutrient deficiency diseases. In 1981, Professor Kenneth Carpenter published a splendid history of pellagra, the niacin-deficiency disease that plagued areas of the United States as recently as 60 years ago. He has now brought his scholarship