1. A series of 507 cases in the Cape Peninsula,
South Africa has been investigated for Vitamin
C nutrition.
2. Of the total number of cases, 124 or 24.6% showed
marked evidence of Vitamin C deficiency.
3. Of the total number of school children, 380,
European and non -European, 80 or 21.1% showed
marked evidence of Vitamin C deficiency.
4. Of these children, the Europeans showed a greater
percentage of cases of deficiency than the non - European viz., in 109 European cases 23 or 21.1%
were deficient, whereas in 271 non -European cases
20 or 7.3% were deficient.
5. During the survey no evidence that Vitamin C has
a specific diuretic action appeared.
6. Of the 15 cases examined, there was no conclusive
evidence that Vitamin C deficiency plays a constant part in the aetiology of peptic ulcer.
7. The survey was carried out by employing three tests: - (1) The Capillary Fragility Test.
(2) The Intradermal Test.
(3) The 5 -Hour Urinary Excretion Test
in response to a Test Dose of Vitamin C,
and the results obtained from them compared.
8. No correlation could be found between these three
tests.
9. The Capillary Fragility Test proved
(a) to vary with each individual,
(b) to fail to detect a very large group of
mild Vitamin C deficiency cases
(c) to be far from suitable for making an accurate
survey of the state of Vitamin C nutrition of
any particular group of people, though in any
one individual it may have its uses.
10. The Intradermal Test proved to be wholly
unreliable in its present form and is considered
quite unsuitable for any estimation of Vitamin C
nutrition in the human subject.
11. The high incidence of Vitamin C deficiency appears
to be due in part to economic conditions and in
part to lack of knowledge as to what constitutes
an adequate, well- balanced diet containing all the
essential foodstuffs and food factors.
12. It is suggested that the prevalence of Vitamin C
deficiency in school children be remedied by the
daily (or thrice weekly at least) administration
of one orange or its equivalent, and that
although Vitamin C Saturation level is the ideal,
at least levels of Normality be attained and
maintained.
