By Franklin Bicknell, MD, and Frederick Prescott, MD
Summary: Nutrition and medicine have seldom seen eye to eye. Though the discovery of the vitamins in the early twentieth century did cause some physicians to grasp the profound connection between vitamin deficiencies and degenerative disease, medicine as an institution never truly embraced this idea. Ultimately, the American Medical Association declared—in concert with the industrial food industry and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—that most Americans do not suffer vitamin deficiencies of any consequence. This position, however, contradicts decades of scientific study, as famed natural nutritionist Dr. Royal Lee argued throughout his career. One of the books Dr. Lee cited most often in making his case was the text here, The Vitamins in Medicine, by British physicians Drs. Franklin Bicknell and Frederick Prescott. Backed by over 4500 scientific references, the text sums the totality of scientific knowledge about the vitamins at the time of its publication in the mid-twentieth century. While the book does take some typically medical views of vitamins, e.g., that they are single chemical substances and not synergistic biochemical complexes, as Dr. Lee taught, it nevertheless supports strongly the notion that many, if not most, of our modern ailments stem from partial (or “subclinical”) vitamin deficiencies. “This book not only tells of the ravages caused by ignoring nature’s ways,” Dr. Lee said, “but it also shows us the way to prevent these bodily damages.” In the first part of the text (see link to PDF below), the authors discuss vitamin A as well as the various B vitamins. In Part 2, Bicknell and Franklin go on to address vitamins C, D, E, and K and a host of other vital nutrients. Though the information in this book is over seven decades old, it is still incredibly valuable today, when so few health practitioners actually know what the vitamins do—or what a lack of them can cause. Lee Foundation for Nutritional Research, 1953. Original publisher William Heinemann, London.
Download PDF: The Vitamins in Medicine, Part 1
[You can browse the table of contents for Part 1 below.]Table of Contents: The Vitamins in Medicine, Part 1 (Vitamin A and the B Complex)[spacer height=”20px”]
CHAPTER I: VITAMIN A
History 1
Chemistry of Vitamin A and Carotene 3
Estimation of Vitamin A and Carotene 7
—Biological Estimation 7
—Physical Estimation 8
—Chemical Estimation 9
Units of Vitamin A 9
Physiology of Carotene, or “Provitamin A” 10
—Function of Carotene 11
—Absorption of Carotene 11
—Storage and Excretion of Carotene 13
—Conversion of Carotene to Vitamin A 13
—Utilization of Carotene 16
Physiology of Vitamin A 16
—Sources 16
—Absorption 16
—Factors Influencing Absorption 17
—Storage 19
—Factors Apart from Intake Affecting Storage 22
—Blood Levels 24
—The Mobilization of Hepatic Stores 27
—Excretion and Destruction 30
—Factors Influencing Requirements of Vitamin A 31
—Action of Vitamin A in the Body 32
—The Effects of Lack of Vitamin A on the Epithelial Surfaces of the Body
32
—The Secondary Result of Changes in the Epithelia Due to Lack of Vitamin A
—Decreased Local Resistance to Infection: The Secondary Result of Changes in the Epithelia Due to Lack of Vitamin A 36
—Fetal Development and Rubella 39
—Vision 40
—Vitamin A and the Nervous System 42
—Vitamin A and Growth of Bone 43
—Vitamin A and the Endocrine System 45
—Vitamin A and Renal Function 47
—Relation of Vitamin A to Other Vitamins 49
—Vitamin A, Fat and Protein Metabolism 50
The Provision of Vitamin A in Human Diets 50
—Effects of Cookery, Storage, Canning, Freezing, Drying, and Dehydration on Carotene and Vitamin A 54
Amounts of Vitamin A and Carotene in Foods [Table] 54–58
Human Requirements of Vitamin A and Carotene 58
—In Health 58
—In Disease 60
Methods Used for Recognizing Human Vitamin A Deficiencies 60
—Clinical Examination 60
—Slit-Lamp Microscopy 60
—Dark Adaptation 60
—Differential Diagnosis of Impaired Dark Adaptation 63
Human Diseases Due to A Deficiency of Vitamin A 64
—[Pages 64 to 72 omitted in original.]
—The Effect of Lack of Vitamin A on the Eyes 72
—The Effect of Lack of Vitamin A on the Nervous System: Lathyrism 74
—Other Effects of Lack of Vitamin A 77
Carotinemia, Xanthosis Cutis and Hypervitaminosis A 78
—Carotinemia 78
—Xanthosis Cutis 78
—Hypervitaminosis A in Man 81
—Hypervitaminosis A in Animals 84
Vitamin A2 85
REFERENCES (Vitamin A) 86–99 [612 citations]
CHAPTER II: THE VITAMIN B COMPLEX
[Excluding Vitamins B1, B2, and B3]
[History and Naming of the B Vitamins] 100
VITAMIN B6 103
—Isolation and Chemistry of Vitamin B6 103
—Distribution of Vitamin B6 in Foods 104
—Vitamin B6 Content of Foodstuffs [Table] 104–105
Physiology and Functions of Vitamin B6 105
—Reactions Catalyzed by Pyridoxal Phosphate 106
—Vitamin B6 and Amino Acid and Protein Metabolism 107
—Fat Metabolism 108
—Adrenal Cortical Damage and Water Metabolism 108
—Analogues and Antagonists 108
—Absorption, Storage, and Excretion 109
—Requirements 110
—Vitamin B6 Deficiency Symptoms in Animals 110
—Human Vitamin B6 Deficiency 112
—Toxicology and Pharmacology 112
Therapeutic Use of Vitamin B6 112
—Deficiency States 112
—Blood Diseases 112
—Neuromuscular and Nervous Diseases 114
—Skin Diseases 115
—Vomiting 115
—Other Conditions 116
PANTOTHENIC ACID [VITAMIN B5] 116
—History, Isolation, and Chemistry 116
—Distribution [in Foods] 116
—Pantothenic Acid Content of Foodstuffs [Table] 117–118
—Biogenesis 118
—Functions and Physiology: Coenzyme A 119
—Pantothenic Acid Deficiency 120
—Pantothenic Acid Antagonists 120
—Absorption, Storage, Excretion of Pantothenic Acid 121
—Pharmacology 122
—Requirements of Pantothenic Acid 122
—Clinical Studies on Pantothenic Acid 122
BIOTIN 123
—History, Isolation, and Chemistry 123
—Units and Distribution 124
—Biotin Content of Foodstuffs [Table] 125
—Avidin and Biotin Inhibitors 125
—Physiology and Functions of Biotin 126
—Metabolism, Absorption, and Excretion 127
—Pharmacology 129
—Effects of Biotin Deficiency in Animals 129
—Biotin and Infection 129
—Biotin Deficiency in Man 129
—Biotin and Cancer 130
INOSITOL 131
CHOLINE 132
—Choline in Foodstuffs [Table] 132–133
—Choline Deficiency 133
—Functions of Choline 134
—Clinical Uses of Choline 134
PARA-AMINOBENZOIC ACID [PABA] 135
—Absorption and Excretion of PABA 136
—PABA Deficiency in Animals 136
—Antibacterial Action of PABA 136
—Pharmacology and Toxicology 136
—Clinical Uses of PABA 137
FOLIC ACID GROUP 142
—History 142
—Estimation of Folic Acid 143
—Occurrence in Foods 143
—Distribution of Folic Acid in Foodstuffs [Table] 144
—Uracil and Thymine 145
—Folic Acid Antagonists 145
—Physiology and Functions 145
—Pharmacology 146
—Absorption, Storage, Excretion 146
—Requirements 147
—Folic Acid Deficiency 147
—The Significance of Folic Acid in Human Nutrition 148
—Therapeutic Uses of Folic Acid 148
—Granulocytopenia 151
—Irradiation Sickness 152
—Folic Antagonists in the Treatment of Leukemia and Malignant Disease 152
—Folic Antagonists in the Treatment of Arthritis and Psoriasis 153
THE VITAMIN B12 GROUP 153
—History 153
—Chemistry 153
—Assay of Vitamin B12 154
—Units 155
—Occurrence of Vitamin B12 [in Food and Other Sources] 155
—Functions of Vitamin B12 155
—Vitamin B12 in Foodstuffs [Table] 156
—Absorption, Storage, and Excretion of Vitamin B12 157
—Requirements 158
—Pernicious Anemia 159
—The Sprue Syndrome 159
—Tropical Nutritional Anemia 159
—Megaloblastic Ancemia of Pregnancy and the Puerperium 159
—Megaloblastic Anemia of Infancy 159
—Megaloblastic Amemia After Gastrectomy 159
—Leucopenia 159
—Neurological Conditions 159
— Growth of Children 159
—The Animal Protein Factor 159
The Citrovorum Factor (Folinic Acid, Leucovorin) 160
—Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Thymidine, the Citrovorum Factor, and Nucleic Acid Synthesis 162
— Hemopoietic Activity of Citrovorum Factor 163
—Citrovorum Factor and Folic Acid Deficiency 163
Vitamin B13 and Vitamin B14 163
REFERENCES (The Vitamin B Complex) 163–182 [748 citations]
CHAPTER III: ANEURINE (VITAMIN B1, THIAMINE)
History 183
Chemistry of Aneurine 184
Units of Aneurine 186
Distribution of Aneurine in Foods 186
— Effect of Cooking, Canning, Freezing, and Drying on Aneurine 187
Vitamin B1 Content in Foods [Table]189–193
The Physiology of Aneurine 193
—Aneurine and Carbohydrate Metabolism 193
—The Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle [Diagram] 195
—Aneurine and Fat Metabolism 197
—Aneurine and Protein Metabolism 198
—Aneurine and the Endocrine System—Thyroid 198
—Aneurine and Acetylcholine 199
—[Anuerine and] Reproduction 199
—Aneurine and Phagocytic Function 200
—Aneurine and Mineral Metabolism 200
—Relationship to Other Vitamins 200
— Absorption of Aneurine 201
—Storage of Aneurine 201
—Excretion 202
Pharmacology and Toxicology 204
Human Requirements of Aneurine 205
—Human Requirements Based on Animal Data 205
—Aneurine Requirements Calculated from Dietary Studies 205
—Requirements Based on Aneurine Deficiency Studies 206
—Requirements based on Excretion Studies 207
—Human Requirements of the Adult 209
—Requirements of Infants and Children 209
—Requirements in Pregnancy and Lactation 210
— Aneurine Requirements under Special Conditions 210
Human Disease Associated with Aneurine Deficiency Beriberi 211
—Incidence 211
—Etiology 212
—Clinical Signs and Symptoms 212
—Diagnosis 220
—Differential Diagnosis 221
—Pathology and Morbid Anatomy of Beriberi 221
—Prognosis and Treatment of Beriberi 222
Other Manifestations of Aneurine Deficiency 222
—Factors Conditioning Vitamin Deficiency 222
— I. Factors Interfering with Ingestion 224
— II. Factors Interfering with Absorption 225
— III. Factors Interfering with Utilization 226
— IV. Factors Increasing Requirement 227
— V. Factors Causing Destruction of Vitamins 227
— VI. Factors Increasing Excretion 228
—Biochemically Induced Aneurine Deficiency 228
—Nervous Lesions in Aneurine Deficiency 229
—Psychological Manifestations of Aneurine Deficiency 234
—Cardiac Lesions in Aneurine Deficiency 234
—Aneurine Deficiency and Gastrointestinal Symptoms 238
—Experimental Aneurine Deficiency in Man 238
— Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Aneurine Deficiency 240
Methods Used for the Assay of Aneurine 240
—Biological Assay 240
—Microbiological Assay 240
—Thiochrome Method 241
—Colorimetric Methods 241
—Estimation of Cocarboxylase 241
Laboratory Methods Proposed for the Detection of Aneurine Deficiency 241
—Estimation of Pyruvic Acid and Bisulfite Binding Substances 242
—Estimation of Blood Aneurine 243
—Estimation of the Urinary Excretion of Aneurine 243
—Pyramin (Pyrimidine) Estimation 244
—Muscle Biopsy 244
Therapeutic Uses of Aneurine 244
—Neurology 245
—Affections of the Cranial Nerves 249
—Diseases of the Spinal Cord 250
—Relief of Pain 251
—Summary 251
—Neuropsychiatric Disorders 251
—Psychotic States Associated with Alcoholism 252
—Aneurine in Ophthalmology 253
—Aneurine in Vascular Disease 253
—Aneurine in Gastro-intestinal Conditions 253
—Aneurine in Pregnancy 254
—Aneurine in Metabolic Diseases (Diabetes, Hyperthyroidism, Gout) 256
—Dermatology 258
—Shock 258
—Irradiation Sickness 258
—Aneurine and the Sulfonamides 259
—Uterine Cancer 260
—Resistance to Fatigue 260
—Morphine Addiction 261
—Other Clinical Uses of Aneurine 261
REFERENCES (Vitamin B1) 261–284 [953 citations]
CHAPTER IV: RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2]
History 285
Chemistry of Riboflavin 285
Units of Riboflavin 287
Distribution of Riboflavin in Foods 287
—Effect of Cooking, Curing, Freezing, and Canning 287
Vitamin B2 Content in Foods [Table] 288—292
Physiology of Riboflavin 292
—Riboflavin and Flavoprotein Enzyme Systems 292
—Phosphorylation 295
—Biosynthesis of Riboflavin 295
—Riboflavin Deficiency in Animals 295
—Riboflavin and the Eye 296
—Riboflavin and Hematopoiesis 297
—Riboflavin and Tumor Formation 298
—Riboflavin and Nitrogen Metabolism 298
—Riboflavin Metabolism and Other Vitamins 298
—Chemically Induced Riboflavin Deficiency 298
—Pharmacology of Riboflavine 298
—Absorption, Storage, and Excretion of Riboflavin 299
Human Requirements of Riboflavin 302
Riboflavin Deficiency Syndrome, Ariboflavinosis, Diseases Associated with Riboflavin Deficiency 304
—Historical 304
—Incidence of Ariboflavinosis 305
—Lesions of Lips 306
—Validity of Angular Stomatitis as a Manifestation of Riboflavin Deficiency 307
—Dermal Lesions of Ariboflavinosis 309
—Tongue Lesions of Ariboflavinosis 312
—Ocular Manifestations of Ariboflavinosis 313
—Conjunctivitis 313
—Photophobia 314
—Diminished Visual Acuity and Eye Strain 314
—Cataract 315
—Iritis 315
—Rubeosis lridis 315
—Nutritional Amblyopia 315
—Snow Blindness 316
—Corneal Vascularization 316
—Validity of Circumcorneal Injection and Corneal Vascularization as Manifestations of Riboflavin Deficiency 317
—Neurological Manifestations of Riboflavin Deficiency 320
—Kwashiorkor 320
—Pathogenesis of Ariboflavinosis 321
—Diagnosis of Ariboflavinosis 321
—Treatment of Ariboflavinosis 322
—Plummer-Vinson’s Syndrome 323
Clinical Uses of Riboflavin 323
REFERENCES (Vitamin B2) 325–332 [337 citations]
CHAPTER V: NICOTINIC ACID [NIACIN, VITAMIN B3]
History 333
Chemistry of Nicotinic Acid 333
Distribution of Riboflavin in Foods 334
—Effect of Cooking, Curing, Freezing, and Canning 287
Vitamin B3 Content in Foods [Table] 335—339
Physiology of Nicotinic Acid 339
—Nicotinic Acid and Enzyme Systems 339
—Nicotinic Acid and Porphyrin Metabolism 342
—Nicotinic Acid and Carbohydrate Metabolism 342
—Nicotinic Acid and Hematopoiesis 343
—Nicotinic Acid Requirements of Microorganisms 343
—Biosynthesis of Nicotinic Acid 343
—Nicotinic Acid and Tryptophan 344
—Nicotinic Acid Antagonists 345
—Pharmacology of Nicotinic Acid 346
—Absorption, Storage, and Excretion of Nicotinic Acid 347
Human Requirement of Nicotinic Acid 349
Diseases Associated with Deficiency of Nicotinic Acid—Pellagra 351
—History 351
—Distribution of Pellagra 351
—Etiology 352
—Critical Signs and Symptoms of Pellagra 354
—Infantile Pellagra 363
—Diagnosis of Pellagra 364
—Laboratory Tests for Diagnosis of Nicotinic Acid Deficiency 364
—Pathology of Pellagra 366
—Prognosis and Treatment 367
—Nicotinic Acid Psychoses 368
—Lingual Manifestations of Nicotinic Acid Deficiency 372
—Induced Nicotinic Acid Deficiency 373
Nicotinic Acid Therapy 373
—Oral Conditions:“Trench Mouth”373
—Cardiovascular Diseases 375
—Skin Diseases 375
—Diabetes 378
—Asthma 378
—Neurology 378
—Other Uses 380
REFERENCES (Vitamin B3) 381–389 [361 citations]
